Delhi Court Denies Anticipatory Bail to Controversial IAS Trainee Puja Khedkar

Delhi’s Patiala House court has dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Puja Khedkar, a trainee IAS officer accused of using fraudulent means to clear the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination. The court emphasized the need for a broader investigation by the Delhi Police into the case.

Background: Puja Khedkar sought pre-arrest bail after being accused of faking her identity to secure additional attempts in the UPSC examination. The court, however, rejected her plea, urging the investigating agency to delve deeper and determine if any insider assistance was provided within the UPSC.

UPSC’s Response: On Wednesday, the UPSC cancelled Khedkar’s provisional candidature and permanently debarred her from future examinations. The UPSC stated, “The UPSC has examined the available records carefully and found her guilty of acting in contravention of the provisions of the CSE-2022 Rules.”

Detailed Examination: Following Khedkar’s case, the UPSC reviewed data from over 15,000 candidates recommended for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) from 2009 to 2023. No other candidates were found to have exceeded the permitted number of attempts under the CSE Rules. Khedkar had managed to evade detection by changing both her name and her parents’ names. The UPSC is now working to enhance its Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to prevent such incidents in the future.

FIR and Further Actions: The Delhi Police registered an FIR against Khedkar based on a complaint from the UPSC. This action followed Khedkar’s recent removal from the District Training Programme of the Maharashtra government.

This high-profile case has highlighted the importance of stringent checks and robust procedures within the UPSC to maintain the integrity of the examination process.