In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld its interim order, extending protection from arrest to Puja Khedkar, a former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) trainee accused of forging her eligibility documents for the 2022 Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam. The hearing is now set to continue on April 21, ensuring Khedkar remains free from custody until then.
Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma, overseeing the case, opted to adjourn the hearing following the submission of a counter affidavit on behalf of Khedkar, which reportedly was not available in the court’s records. The bench has previously urged the Delhi Police to expedite their investigation into the broader implications of the alleged document fraud among UPSC candidates.
During the proceedings, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the Delhi Police, argued for the necessity of custodial interrogation to fully uncover the extent of the document scam. However, the court maintained that revealing the source of the forged certificates could be achieved without detaining Khedkar.
This case stems from a Delhi High Court decision earlier this year, which rejected Khedkar’s plea for anticipatory bail, labeling the case a “classic example of fraud” against both a constitutional body and the nation. The High Court had stressed the need for interrogation to unravel the potential conspiracy, noting that Khedkar’s parents’ high-ranking positions could imply wider collusion.
