The Supreme Court docket Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to ex-IAS probationer Puja Khedkar in a dishonest case during which she was accused of wrongly availing incapacity and OBC quote advantages in civil companies examination, information company PTI reported.
“What’s the grave crime she has dedicated? She is just not a drug lord or a terrorist. She has not dedicated 302 (homicide). She is just not an NDPS offender. You need to have a system or a software program. You full the investigation. She has misplaced all the things and won’t get a job anyplace,” an apex court docket bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma noticed.
Whereas the counsel representing the Delhi Police vehemently opposed the bail to Khedkar, alleging that she was not cooperating within the investigation and that allegations towards her had been critical, the Supreme court docket bench famous “Allowing for the details and circumstances of the case, it is a match case the place the Delhi Excessive Court docket should have granted bail to the petitioner.”
The bench nevertheless directed Khedkar to cooperate within the probe.
In her utility for the 2022 UPSC examination, Khedkar had allegedly misrepresented data for availing reservation advantages. An FIR was registered towards Khedkar in July 2024 underneath costs of forgery, dishonest, violations of the IT Act, and the Incapacity Act, primarily based on a written criticism filed by the Union Public Service Fee (UPSC).
She had nevertheless refuted all of the allegations towards her.
On April 21, the Supreme Court docket had directed Khedkar to seem earlier than the Crime Department for questioning on Might 2 and ordered the police to not take any “coercive steps” towards her. Through the listening to, Further Solicitor Basic S V Raju had knowledgeable the court docket that her custodial interrogation was essential to establish the people who assisted her in acquiring and making ready the pretend incapacity certificates.
On Might 2, she appeared earlier than a Delhi Police Crime Department crew on the Kamla Market workplace the place she was grilled for round eight hours. “She was requested a number of questions associated to the case. She was additionally requested to submit sure paperwork,” officers mentioned.
— with inputs from PTI
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