Supreme Court Grants Anticipatory Bail to Former IAS Probationer Puja Khedkar in Reservation Fraud Case

Supreme Court Grants Anticipatory Bail to Former IAS Probationer Puja Khedkar in Reservation Fraud Case

Last Updated May - 21 - 2025, 04:45 PM | Source : Fela News

The Supreme Court granted anticipatory bail to Puja Khedkar, accused of misusing OBC and disability quotas in the UPSC exam, directing her to cooperate with the

On Wednesday (May 21, 2025), the Supreme Court granted anticipatory bail to former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, who faces allegations of fraudulently claiming OBC and disability reservation benefits in the 2022 UPSC civil services examination. A Bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma directed her to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation.

During the hearing, the judges questioned the severity of the accusations, remarking, “What grave crime has she committed? She is not a terrorist, a drug trafficker, or a murderer. This isn’t an NDPS case.” They added that she had already lost everything, including her career prospects, and stressed the need for the investigation to proceed systematically. The court concluded that the Delhi High Court should have granted her bail, given the circumstances.

However, the Delhi Police strongly opposed the plea, arguing that Ms. Khedkar was not cooperating and that the charges were serious. She is accused of providing false information in her exam application to benefit from reservation quotas, an accusation she denies. The UPSC has taken action against her, including filing a criminal complaint, while the Delhi Police have registered an FIR citing multiple offences related to the alleged misrepresentation.

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