Delhi Court Denies Pre-Arrest Bail to Puja Khedkar Accused of Falsifying Information

A Delhi court on Thursday rejected the anticipatory bail request of former trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who is accused of cheating and forging documents to secure selection in the Civil Service Examination. This decision follows the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) cancelling her candidature amid a massive controversy.

During the hearing, Khedkar claimed she was being targeted for filing a sexual harassment complaint against an officer and sought anticipatory bail “to establish her innocence.” The prosecution opposed the application, asserting that she had “cheated the system.”

Khedkar, selected as an IAS officer in the 2023 batch of the Maharashtra cadre, is accused of forging documents, including a Physical Disability Certificate and Non-Creamy Layer Certificate, to obtain OBC reservation in the examination. She allegedly faked her identity to attend the UPSC examination beyond the permissible limit.

Public prosecutor Atul Srivastava argued that the investigation is “at a very nascent stage” and that her custodial interrogation is required. “These kinds of persons who cheat the system must be dealt with very seriously. This person has abused the process of law,” he submitted, adding that the chances of her continuing to abuse the law remain.