SC grants anticipatory bail to ex-IAS officer Puja Khedkar in fraud case

Supreme Court says custodial interrogation not needed; Puja Khedkar is accused of using fake disability and OBC certificates to qualify for the civil services exam

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) probationer Puja Khedkar, who is facing allegations of fraudulently securing civil services eligibility by misusing reservation quotas. The Bench, comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma, observed that the nature of the offence did not warrant custodial interrogation.

 

“What is the grave crime she has committed? She is not a drug lord or a terrorist. She has not committed 302 (murder). She is not an NDPS offender. You should have a system or software. You complete the investigation. She has lost everything and will not get a job anywhere,” the Bench said orally.

 

 

The apex court, while directing Khedkar to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation, said this was a fit case where the Delhi High Court “ought to have granted bail to the petitioner”. The High Court had earlier denied her anticipatory bail and lifted the interim protection granted to her.

 

Delhi Police and UPSC oppose Puja Khedkar's bail citing serious fraud

 

The Delhi Police and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) opposed her anticipatory bail, arguing that the allegations were serious and involved defrauding the commission as well as the public. They also alleged non-cooperation on Khedkar’s part during the investigation. 

 

Khedkar, who was previously serving in the Indian Revenue Service and posted with the Sports Authority of India, is accused of securing selection to the IAS by misusing the OBC and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) categories. According to the investigation, she had used multiple certificates citing different disabilities — ranging from mental illness and low vision to locomotor impairment — across applications.

 

Multiple identities, quota misuse under scrutiny in Puja Khedkar case

 

One of the contentious points in the case involves Khedkar’s use of different names during the application process — Khedkar Puja Deeliprao and Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar — raising suspicions about manipulation of exam attempts. Authorities allege that the name changes were used strategically to bypass the limit on the number of allowed attempts for the exam.

 

News reports showed that she used varying reservation claims: initially using the OBC and PwBD (low vision) categories for her IRS post, and later presenting a fresh OBC certificate along with a new PwBD (multiple disabilities) status to qualify for the IAS.

 

Controversial probation tenure and OBC probe

 

Khedkar first came under the spotlight during her probationary posting in Pune, which drew public criticism and allegations of misuse of power. The Maharashtra government subsequently transferred her to Washim. The state’s OBC Welfare Minister later ordered a probe into her claim of belonging to the OBC non-creamy layer.

 

Following these developments, the UPSC cancelled her provisional candidature and permanently debarred her from appearing in any future exams conducted by the commission. The central government also formally discharged her from the IAS under Rule 12 of the IAS (Probation) Rules.

 

Top court’s earlier warning on non-cooperation

 

In an earlier hearing, the Supreme Court had directed Khedkar to appear before the Delhi Police for questioning on May 2, warning that while she would not be arrested, “drastic” action would be taken in case of non-cooperation.

 

In March, the court had also clarified that Khedkar could not claim additional exam attempts under different disability or category statuses, effectively ruling out her plea to be treated as both an “able candidate” and a “disabled candidate” at different times.

 

(With agency inputs)