BIG relief for ex-IAS trainee Puja Khedkar in UPSC fraud case, SC grants anticipatory bail

The Supreme Court has granted anticipatory bail to former IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar, accused of forging her documents to obtain eligibility for the 2022 Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma asked Khedkar to cooperate in the probe.

During the hearing, the bench said, "What is the grave crime she has committed? She is not a drug lord or a terrorist. She has not committed 302 (murder). She is not an NDPS offender. She has not committed 376 offence (rape)." The apex court while granting anticipatory bail to her said that she will cooperate with the investigation and shall not in anyway influence the witnesses or tamper with the material on records.

"In the event of arrest, the appellant shall be released on bail, furnishing cash sureties of Rs. 35,000 with two sureties. She shall extend complete cooperation in the ensuing investigation and shall not misuse her liberty, and shall not in any way influence the witnesses or tamper with the material on records. Should there be any violation of the aforesaid conditions, the liberty is reserved to the respondent to seek cancellation of anticipatory bail. With the aforesaid directions, criminal appeal is allowed," the order stated.

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Khedkar is accused of cheating and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination. Earlier, the apex court had been extending its interim order of granting protection from arrest to Khedkar. Khedkar has opposed her plea and said that she has not cooperated with the probe.

Khedkar had challenged in the top court the Delhi High Court order rejecting her anticipatory bail plea. In January, the apex court granted her interim protection from arrest and asked her to cooperate in the investigation. Khedkar is accused of fraudulently availing a reservation meant for Other Backwards Classes (OBC) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities in order to clear the UPSC exam. Khedkar is facing criminal charges filed by the Delhi Police, accusing her of cheating and unlawfully claiming OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from IANS)