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Former IAS probationer Pooja Khedkar, accused of cheating in the civil services examination and wrongly availing the benefits of OBC and disability quota, has moved the Supreme Court for anticipatory bail.
A bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma is scheduled to hear the petition on January 15.
Khedkar has challenged the Delhi High Court order dated December 23, 2024 in which he was denied anticipatory bail.
The high court said a strong prima facie case is made out against Khedkar and investigation is needed to unearth the “larger conspiracy” to manipulate the system and pre-arrest bail would adversely affect it.
“The anticipatory bail plea is dismissed. The interim protection from arrest has been removed,” the high court said.
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When the high court issued notice on his anticipatory bail plea on August 12, 2024, Khedkar was granted interim protection from arrest and it was extended from time to time.
The High Court said that the UPSC examination was the most prestigious examination and this case was a classic example of fraud on a constitutional institution as well as on the society.
Khedkar is accused of misrepresenting information in his application for UPSC Civil Services Examination, 2022 to avail reservation benefits.
He rejected all the allegations against him.
The anticipatory bail plea was opposed in the High Court by the counsel for Delhi Police and the complainant UPSC.
While Khedkar’s lawyer argued that she was willing to join and cooperate with the investigation and since all the material was of documentary nature, her custody was not required, the Delhi Police said that their investigation was on to find out the involvement of others. Custodial interrogation was necessary.
The UPSC opposed the plea and said Khedkar had committed a fraud against it and the public, and his custodial interrogation was necessary to find out the “extent” of the fraud which could not be done without the help of others.
UPSC initiated several actions against Khedkar, including filing a criminal case for appearing in the civil services examination by showing fake identity, while Delhi Police registered an FIR for various offences.
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