Puja Khedkar granted interim protection by Delhi HC from arrest till August 21 in UPSC cheating case

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Delhi Police to not arrest former IAS Puja Khedkar, who has been accused of 'misrepresenting and falsifying facts' in her UPSC application, till August 21.

The Court has issued a notice on Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea.

Justice Subramonium Prasad issued notice to the Delhi Police as well as the UPSC on the anticipatory bail plea by Khedkar, and asked them to file their responses.


"In the facts of the present case, the court is of the opinion that the petitioner be not arrested till the next date of hearing," Justice Prasad said.

The case will next be heard on August 21.

Khedkar's petition to the Delhi High Court comes after her previous plea was dismissed by Delhi's Patiala House Court earlier in August.

On August 1, the trial court deemed the allegations against her—regarding falsifying identity for additional attempts in the civil services exam—serious and in need of a comprehensive investigation. The judge noted that custodial interrogation is necessary to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy and identify other individuals involved.

The complainant/UPSC in order to attain the misrepresentation, has prepared various documents to support her claim. The conspiracy has been hatched in a pre-planned manner. The conspiracy was executed by the applicant/accused over many years, the court had said last week. The applicant/accused alone could not have executed the conspiracy without the assistance of some outsider or insider. It is also contended by lawyer for Delhi Police that the OBC (non-creamy layer) status and person with multiple benchmark disability is also under scrutiny and investigation, noted the Court.

Her UPSC candidature was cancelled by the commission on July 31 and she was debarred from re-appearing for the examinations.

The Delhi High Court recently allowed Khedkar to challenge the cancellation of her candidature in the appropriate forum. The UPSC notified the Court that it will deliver the order cancelling Khedkar's candidature within two days.