The Supreme Court of India has ordered former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, who is embroiled in a controversy over allegations of fraudulently availing OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination, to present herself before the Delhi Police on May 2, 2025.
The directive was issued by a bench consisting of Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma, which also stipulated that no coercive action, such as arrest, should be taken against Khedkar until the next hearing scheduled for May 21.
Justice Nagarathna remarked, “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, 2nd Floor, Kamla Market Police Station, Delhi, at 10.30 am.”
The Court has allowed the police to question Khedkar on May 2 and on any subsequent dates necessary for the investigation. This interim protection is contingent on Khedkar’s full cooperation with the ongoing investigation.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the Delhi Police, emphasized the necessity of custodial interrogation to uncover the full extent of the alleged malpractices.
The case against Khedkar stems from her application for the 2022 UPSC civil services exam, where she is accused of misrepresenting her qualifications to receive reservation benefits under the OBC and disability quotas. Despite denying the allegations, the Delhi High Court had previously dismissed her plea for anticipatory bail, citing a strong prima facie case that suggested a broader conspiracy to manipulate the examination system.
The controversy began when the UPSC took several measures against Khedkar, including filing a criminal case for allegedly faking her identity to gain additional attempts in the civil services examination. Concurrently, the Delhi Police filed an FIR accusing her of multiple offences linked to the alleged reservation fraud.
