The Supreme Court has ordered former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar to appear before Delhi Police on May 2 in connection with allegations that she misused the OBC and disability quotas to clear the 2022 UPSC civil services exam. The court, while hearing the case on Monday, stated that no coercive action should be taken against her until May 21, the next scheduled hearing. The bench, comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma, noted a lack of concrete progress in the investigation and directed the Delhi Police to conclude their probe swiftly.
During the hearing, the Delhi Police, represented by Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, argued that custodial interrogation of Khedkar was necessary. Despite these submissions, the Supreme Court granted her interim protection from arrest. Khedkar, who has denied all charges, is accused of misrepresenting details in her exam application to claim reservation benefits. The Delhi High Court earlier rejected her anticipatory bail plea, citing a strong prima facie case and the need to uncover a possible larger conspiracy behind her alleged actions.
The controversy surrounding Khedkar began when the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) took action against her for allegedly falsifying her identity and eligibility to sit for multiple attempts in the civil services exam. This included the lodging of a criminal complaint, followed by an FIR registered by Delhi Police. Although she had earlier received interim protection from arrest when the High Court issued notice on her bail plea in August 2024, the court has since emphasized that allowing any relief could undermine the integrity of the examination process.