• Source:JND
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The Delhi high court has directed the police to not arrest former IAS trainee Puja Khedkar till August 21, Bar and Bench reported on Monday. This comes as a big relief after the Court on July 9 adjourned the hearing on an anticipatory bail plea moved by Khedkar, who has been accused of faking her identity to avail extra attempts in the civil services examination.

The court also issued a notice to the Delhi police and the UPSC, asking them to file a reply as to why her custody is required to unearth the conspiracy.

During the hearing of the case, the court remarked that the trial court while denying relief to Khedkar got bogged down by the allegations against her and did not properly deal with the bail plea.

"The judgement of the trial court goes on the offence committed and holds that the offence has been committed but there is hardly any discussion as to why bail sought cannot be granted. Though I am not sitting in appeal, but except from one paragraph about the PP (public prosecutor) submission that there are others involved and conspiracy is to be unearthed, there is no other discussion on bail," Justice Prasad remarked, as quoted by Bar and Bench.

Justice Prasad added that in big matters, courts get embroiled in the allegations and, at times. they lose sight of the relief being sought before it.

"What happens in these big matters is we get so much embroiled in the arguments that we lose sight of the relief sought... we lose sight of the purpose for which bail was filed," the Single Judge said. The UPSC and Delhi Police told the Court that the case involves a well planned conspiracy and the probe is still on.

 
Puja Khedkar Case
 
34-year-old Pooja Khedkar, an IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre batch of 2023 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 is also under the scanner for allegedly misusing the disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) quota to secure a position in the IAS.
 
 
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.