The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and Delhi police, on Wednesday, i.e., August 22, opposed the anticipatory bail of ex-IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, saying that she committed fraud against not only the commission but also the public as she allegedly used a 'fake disability and OBC certificate' to appear for the civil services examinations (CSE) in 2021, having exhausted all attempts by 2020, Times of India reported.
Puja Khedkar is accused of cheating as she allegedly misued her authority and submitted her fake disability Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates to clear the civil services exam.
In their respective replies, both the Delhi police and the UPSC sought dismissal of Khedkar's bail plea, stating that any relief to her would hinder the probe into the 'deep-rooted' conspiracy. They also stressed that the case had wider implications on public trust as well as the integrity of the civil services examination, as per the Times of India report.
"She had already exhausted all the permissible attempts available to a PwBD (persons with benchmark disabilities) + OBC candidate, i.e. 9 attempts, by CSE-2020 itself. Therefore, as per CSE Rules, she was not eligible to appear further for CSE-2021 and subsequent CSEs," said the police.
The report further stressed that while Khedkar claimed no connection with her father and showed her mother's income to be below the threshold to get the benefit of OBC non-creamy layer, her family owned 12 vehicles, including a Mercedes car, a BMW car and a Thar SUV, and "23 pieces of immovable properties valued crores of rupees" at different locations in Maharashtra, the newspaper has reported.
The police went on to argue that if granted relief, the accused might obstruct the ongoing probe and verification of her qualifications, and those involved might "cover up their tracks" and manipulate evidence.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court had granted interim relief to Puja Khedar and directed the investigating agency not to arrest her immediately.
She had approached the High Court challenging a district court's order that denied bail to her in the alleged cheating case.
