‘Not drug lord or terrorist’: SC grants anticipatory bail to ex-IAS probationer Puja Khedkar

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, who faces allegations of cheating by fraudulently claiming reservation benefits under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) quotas in the 2022 civil services examination.

What did Supreme Court say on Puja Khedkar?

The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma, directed Puja Khedkar to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation.

The Supreme Court observed that the offences alleged were not of a grave nature, such as murder or terrorism, emphasising that the investigation should be completed promptly.

"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. You should have a system or a software. You complete the investigation. She has lost everything and will not get a job anywhere," the bench observed.

"Bearing in mind the facts and circumstances of the case, this is a fit case where the Delhi High Court ought to have granted bail to the petitioner," the bench noted.

It noted that Puja Khedkar had already suffered significant consequences, including dismissal from the Indian Administrative Service and cancellation of her candidature by the UPSC, and that she would find it difficult to secure employment elsewhere.

Puja Khedkar had challenged the Delhi High Court’s refusal to grant her anticipatory bail, which had cited a prima facie case of fraud and the potential impact on the investigation if bail were granted.

The Delhi High Court had described the case as a serious instance of manipulation against a constitutional body and society at large.

Allegations against Puja Khedkar

The allegations against Puja Khedkar include submitting multiple fake certificates to the UPSC, using different names and identities to exceed the permissible number of attempts at the examination, and misrepresenting her disability status.

The UPSC lodged a criminal complaint and barred her from future exams, while the Delhi Police filed an FIR and are investigating possible wider conspiracies involving fake documents in the civil services recruitment process.

Despite opposition from the Delhi Police, who argued that Puja Khedkar was not cooperating and that the charges were serious, the Supreme Court held that custodial interrogation was unnecessary and granted bail on conditions including cooperation with the probe and not tampering with evidence or witnesses