The Delhi High Court on Thursday extended the interim protection from arrest granted to former IAS probationary officer Puja Khedkar, in connection with a case of allegedly misusing powers to crack the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The protection from arrest was extended until September 5.
Earlier this month, the UPSC took serious action against Puja Khedkar, including filing a criminal case for allegedly faking her identity to gain multiple attempts in the civil services exam. The Delhi Police have registered an FIR against her under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Information Technology Act, and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act.
Puja Khedkar told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that following her selection and appointment, the UPSC does not have the power to disqualify her, and that any action against her can be taken only by the Centre’s Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
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In her four-page reply, the ex-IAS trainee refuted the allegations of fake documents and fraud levelled by UPSC against her and claimed that she neither changed her first name and surname from 2012 to 2022 nor manipulated or misrepresented her name to the commission.
Puja Khedkar Case: What Is The Controversy
34-year-old ex-IAS trainee Pooja Khedkar, who obtained an All India Rank (AIR) of 841 in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam, was found herself at the centre of a controversy after using her private Audi car with a red-blue beacon light and VIP number plate. She was also accused of misusing the disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) quota to secure a position in the IAS.
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Khedkar reportedly submitted a mental illness certificate. Earlier in April 2022, the IAS probationer was also asked to report to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, for verification of her disability certificate. Still, she did not do so, citing a COVID-19 infection.