Supreme Court directs former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar to appear before Delhi Police on May 2

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar -- accused of cheating and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination -- to appear before Delhi Police on May 2 for interrogation.

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A Bench led by Justice BV Nagarathna, however, said no coercive steps would be taken against Khedkar till May 21, the next date of hearing.

"It appears there has been no concrete investigation against the petitioner as such. In the circumstances, we direct the petitioner to appear before the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Central Range, Crime Branch, 2d Floor, Kamla Market Police Station, Delhi on May 2, at 10.30 am," the Bench ordered.

"It is needless to observe that the respondent/police authority is at liberty to interrogate the petitioner on May 2 and/or on any other date on which she may be summoned for the purpose of investigation,” it said.

Noting that the interim protection from coercive action has been granted to her on the condition that she would cooperate with the investigation," the Bench directed Delhi Police to conclude the probe expeditiously.

The order came after Additional Solicitor General SV Raju submitted on behalf of Delhi Police that Khedkar needed to be interrogated.

Facing imminent arrest for alleged cheating and wrongly availing of OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination, Khedkar had on January 15 got a major relief from the Supreme Court which protected her from arrest.

Accused of cheating and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits to make it to the IAS, Khedkar has challenged the Delhi High Court’s December 23 judgment rejecting her anticipatory bail plea and vacating the interim protection granted to her in the case.

She joined the Pune Collectorate in June last year as a probationer and on July 31, the UPSC cancelled her candidature and debarred her permanently from all future examinations after she was found guilty of "acting in contravention of the Civil Services Examination-2022 Rules."

“The present incident is a classic example of fraud committed not only with a constitutional body but the society at large and necessary interrogation is warranted to reveal all the aspects and attributes related to the said fraud committed against the nation,” the High Court had said, dismissing her petition.

Vacating the interim protection given to her on August 12, 2024, the high court had said, “This court deems it appropriate to dismiss the present application filed for grant of anticipatory bail as this court is prima facie satisfied that a strong case is made out against the petitioner and the said conduct is part of a larger conspiracy which can only be revealed if the investigative agency is given the due opportunity to apprehend the petitioner and investigate the case without there being any chance to hamper the witnesses and the evidence.”

However, Khedkar contended that she did not have any criminal antecedents and that she was an unmarried woman with benchmark disability. The accused submitted that she joined the All India Service, was appointed after physical verification and was entitled to protection under the All India Services Act and Rules, besides the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, until proved otherwise.