Supreme Court Grants Interim Protection from Arrest to Puja Khedkar in OBC and Disability Quota Fraud Case

Puja Khedkar
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Pune, 17th January 2025: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar interim protection from arrest until February 14, 2025, in a case where she is accused of cheating and improperly availing of benefits under the OBC and disability quotas in the civil services examination.

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma issued notice to both the Delhi government and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Khedkar’s plea for anticipatory bail. “Issue notice returnable on February 14, 2025. Till the next date of hearing, no coercive steps should be taken against the petitioner,” the bench directed.

During the proceedings, senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing Khedkar, argued that the high court had made strong and unfavorable observations against her while dismissing her earlier anticipatory bail plea. The Supreme Court, however, remarked that Khedkar had not yet been subject to any coercive action and “nothing had happened to her so far.” Luthra emphasized that if the case went to trial, the findings of the high court would likely lead to a conviction, as they were based on solid evidence.

When asked about Khedkar’s current situation, Luthra stated that she had already lost her job and was seeking legal remedies. The matter was adjourned for further hearing on February 14.

The Delhi High Court had previously dismissed Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea, noting that there was a strong prima facie case against her and that further investigation was needed to uncover a “larger conspiracy” behind the alleged manipulation of the examination system. The high court also emphasized that granting anticipatory bail would negatively impact the ongoing investigation, thus vacating the interim protection from arrest that had been in place.

Khedkar had initially been granted interim protection from arrest by the high court on August 12, 2024, when it issued notice on her anticipatory bail plea. This protection had been extended multiple times until the recent ruling.

The high court had remarked that the UPSC examination was one of the most prestigious tests, and the case was a clear instance of fraud committed against both a constitutional body and the public. The anticipatory bail plea was opposed by the Delhi Police and the UPSC, which contended that Khedkar’s actions had caused significant harm to the integrity of the examination process.

In her defense, Khedkar’s counsel argued that she was willing to cooperate with the investigation and that the material evidence in the case was purely documentary, making her custody unnecessary. However, the Delhi Police insisted on custodial interrogation to identify any potential accomplices involved in the alleged fraud.

The UPSC also opposed the bail application, stressing that Khedkar had defrauded both the commission and the public. The UPSC argued that her custodial interrogation was crucial to uncover the full scope of the fraud, suggesting that it was unlikely she could have carried out the scheme without assistance from others.