Former IAS officer Puja Khedkar is embroiled in a legal battle after being accused of faking her identity to gain extra attempts in the civil services examination. Her plea for anticipatory bail has been denied by a district court in Delhi, and the case has now been scheduled for hearing on August 12 by the Delhi High Court.
The allegations against Khedkar are serious, centering on claims that she falsified her identity to take more attempts than legally allowed in the UPSC exams. The district court, led by Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala, previously rejected her request for anticipatory bail, citing the need for thorough investigation and custodial interrogation to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy.
The court's decision highlights the gravity of the charges against Khedkar. She has been accused of committing offences under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), and 120B (criminal conspiracy), as well as under the Information Technology Act and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act.
The court noted that Khedkar could not have carried out this alleged conspiracy alone and suggested that others may have been involved, either as outsiders or insiders within the system.
The case has prompted the court to direct the investigating agency to broaden its probe, not just to focus on Khedkar, but to investigate whether other candidates may have similarly exploited the system to gain undue advantages.
The allegations extend to questioning the integrity of the system used by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which conducts the civil services exams.
The court emphasised the importance of maintaining transparency and fairness in the examination process and urged the UPSC to introspect and strengthen its Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to prevent similar breaches in the future.
The court's order also called for a review of recent UPSC recommendations, specifically to identify candidates who may have illegally availed extra attempts, obtained OBC (non-creamy layer) benefits without entitlement, or falsely claimed benefits as persons with benchmark disabilities.
The court's directive to the investigating agency also includes probing whether any insiders within the UPSC might have assisted Khedkar in her alleged illegal activities.
The case took a significant turn when the Delhi High Court recently granted Khedkar the liberty to challenge the cancellation of her candidature in an appropriate forum. The UPSC has been instructed to provide her with the official order cancelling her candidature within two days.
As the legal proceedings continue, the case underscores the critical need for maintaining the integrity of one of India's most prestigious examinations. The outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications, not only for Khedkar but also for the broader civil services examination process and the credibility of the UPSC.
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