Delhi court denies anticipatory bail to former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar

Delhi's Patiala House Court on Thursday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Puja Khedkar. The former trainee IAS officer is accused of using fraudulent means to pass the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination. Khedkar's provisional candidature was cancelled by the UPSC on Wednesday.

Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala reserved the order after hearing arguments on Khedkar's application, which claimed that she has an “imminent threat of arrest.”

The UPSC filed a case against Khedkar for allegedly fraudulently availing the benefits of quota by faking her identity to take the civil services examination beyond the permissible number of attempts.

Senior Advocate Naresh Kaushik, appearing for the UPSC, said, "She secured a public employment unlawfully. It would not only be an offence against the UPSC but the entire society."

What Puja Khedkar said in court?

During the proceedings, Khedkar said she wanted the anticipatory bail "to establish her innocence", news agency PTI reported. She also told the court that she was being targeted for filing a sexual harassment complaint against an officer.

"I [Khedkar] filed a complaint for sexual harassment and that is why all this is being done against me. This is all happening on behest of the collector against whom I have levelled sexual harassment complaint. The person asked me to come and sit in a private room. I said I am a qualified IAS and I will not do that. I am pressing for anticipatory bail to establish my innocence," advocate Bina Mahadevan, appearing for Khedkar, said.

Mahadevan said Khedkar didn't suppress any information, and that she had wrongly mentioned the number of attempts. "I wrote five but I should have said 12. It is because I availed those attempts under a different quota. Whether it was done in good faith or not is to be inquired," she said.

"IAS Academy Mussoorie has called me (Khedkar), Pune Commissioner has called me. DoPT has given me a notice as well. I need anticipatory bail to defend myself before all these forums," Khedkar's counsel said.

Why did police seek Khedkar's custodial interrogation?

Meanwhile, the prosecution opposed the bail application, claiming that Khedkar took advantage of the loopholes and changed her name. "We are at a very nascent stage. We need her custodial interrogation," public prosecutor Atul Srivastava said.

He argued that if she gets anticipatory bail, "she will not cooperate."

"She changed her father's name and her mother's name. How? The conspiracy to cheat the examination system and public at large is there. She has done immense harm to people who would have otherwise qualified," Srivastava reportedly said.

"These kinds of persons who cheat the system must be dealt with very seriously. This person has abused the process of law," he submitted, adding that the chances of her abusing the law were still there.

(With inputs from PTI)