NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday extended interim order of granting protection from arrest for former IAS probationer Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar in a cheating case linked to misrepresentation of information in her UPSC application.
The court listed the matter for hearing on March 17.
Khedkar is accused of misrepresenting information in her UPSC civil services examination 2022 application to avail of reservation benefits under the OBC and disability quotas.
A bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma also granted the Delhi Police additional time to file a response to Khedkar’s challenge against the Delhi high court’s decision, which rejected her anticipatory bail plea.
The court further instructed Khedkar to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
The Supreme Court’s protection order, issued on January 14, had previously barred any coercive action against Khedkar until February 14.
Additionally, the court had issued notices to both the Delhi government and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in response to Khedkar's plea.
The matter was first flagged after the UPSC lodged a complaint alleging that Khedkar had faked her identity to fraudulently exceed the permissible number of exam attempts.
Following the complaint, Delhi Police registered an FIR and initiated criminal proceedings against her.
Khedkar had approached the Delhi high court for anticipatory bail, but her plea was dismissed. The court vacated the interim protection previously granted to her and stressed the seriousness of the allegations.
"The UPSC is a prestigious examination, and this case reflects fraud not only against the organisation but also society," the high court bench noted while rejecting her plea.
It further highlighted the need for a detailed investigation to unravel the alleged conspiracy, observing that Khedkar’s conduct prima facie appeared to be aimed at deceiving the system.
Khedkar, a trainee IAS officer from the 2022 civil services batch, is accused of cheating and wrongful representation to secure benefits reserved for specific categories.
The allegations include misrepresenting her caste status and disability, which enabled her to exceed the number of attempts allowed in the exam.
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