Former IAS trainee Puja Khedkar
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (March 18, 2025) told former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar — who’s accused of cheating and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination — that she cannot avail separate attempts to clear the test as an “able candidate” and an “disabled candidate”.
A Bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma posted the plea of Ms. Khedkar for further hearing on April 15 after her counsel sought time to file response to an affidavit of Delhi government.
The top court also extended the protection from arrest granted to Ms. Khedkar on January 15 till April 15.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, appearing for the Delhi government, said they need custodial interrogation of Ms. Khedkar to ascertain the identity of the middlemen involved in the alleged scam of preparing fake disability certificates for UPSC aspirants.
Advocate Bina Madhavan, appearing for Ms. Khedkar, said they have written to the probe agency about her willingness to cooperate in the investigation.
Justice Sharma told Mr. Raju, “If you want to ascertain the identities of the middlemen, she is willing to cooperate in the investigation.”
Mr. Raju submitted, “We want to take her into custody otherwise she will not disclose the identities of the middlemen involved. This is a scam.”
The ASG said Ms. Khedkar was allowed nine attempts to clear the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam in the regular course, but by preparing a fake disability certificate, she took additional attempts for the test.
He added that Ms. Khedkar had been appearing for UPSC exams since 2012 and then she got a fake disability certificate to take some additional chances to crack the test.
Refuting Mr. Raju’s submission, Ms. Madhavan said the disability certificate was not a standalone and that Ms. Khedkar had to appear before an AIIMS medical board that confirmed her disability.
“There was no fraud as alleged. I got the disability certificate in 2018 and my attempts to clear the UPSC exam as a disabled candidate are not exhausted,” Ms. Khedkar’s counsel submitted.
The bench told her, “It cannot be the case that you can avail separate attempts as an able candidate and as a disabled candidate.”
Ms. Madhavan submitted that she can place on record materials which can substantiate her claim.
Mr. Raju contended that not only her disability certificate was fake, her details in the forms were also incorrect and misleading, as she urged the court to give an early date for hearing the matter.
The Bench said it will take up the matter on April 15.
On January 15, the top court gave Ms. Khedkar protection from arrest and sought the response of the Delhi government and the UPSC on her plea seeking anticipatory bail. Her counsel had earlier argued that the Delhi High Court made strong observations against Khedkar while dismissing her anticipatory bail plea.
Ms. Khedkar is accused of misrepresenting information in her application for the 2022 UPSC civil services examination for availing reservation benefits.
She had refuted all the allegations against her.
Published – March 18, 2025 01:18 pm IST