The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted interim protection from arrest to former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, who is embroiled in allegations of cheating and misuse of reservation benefits in the UPSC civil services examination. The order, which prevents her arrest until February 14, was issued by a bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma, following a plea for anticipatory bail submitted by Khedkar.
The case against Khedkar involves accusations that she provided false information to avail herself of benefits under the OBC and disability quotas in the 2022 UPSC examination. The apex court has now issued notices to the Delhi government and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), seeking their responses on the matter.
Khedkar has vehemently denied all allegations, asserting that she did not engage in any fraudulent activities during her application process. The hearing for her plea is scheduled to continue on February 14, where further deliberations over the anticipatory bail will take place.
