UPSC Challenges Bail for Puja Khedkar Over Alleged Use of Fake Certificates
August 23, 2024, New Delhi: Rejecting the anticipatory bail appeal of Delhi Police and Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, accused of fraudulently utilising phoney disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates, has refused. On Wednesday, August 22, this opposition was filed.
According to the UPSC and Delhi Police, Khedkar reportedly perpetrated fraud against the commission and the public by using fake certificates to achieve an unfair edge in the CSE. Since Khedkar had already exhausted all permissible efforts before 2020, the authorities argue she is not entitled to show up for CSE-2021 under the examination requirements.
Declaring that granting Khedkar relief would impede the ongoing investigation into a “deep-rooted” plan, the UPSC and Delhi Police requested the court in their pleas to deny her bail application. They underscored the more general implications of the case for public trust and the integrity of the civil services examination.
The police also noted that although Khedkar claimed no relationship with her father and reported her mother’s income as below the OBC non-creamy layer threshold, her family owned 23 properties valued in crores across Maharashtra and 12 luxury brands, including Mercedes and BMW.
The police warned that bail may let Khedkar and her supporters fabricate facts, conceal evidence, and influence the ongoing investigations.
Khedkar was previously awarded interim relief by the Delhi High Court, which also directed the investigating agency not to arrest her right away. Khedkar had sought assistance from the High Court after a district court denied her bail in the purported cheating case involving the UPSC exam.
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