SC grants anticipatory bail to former IAS trainee Puja Khedkar in fraud case
New Delhi [India], May 21 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) trainee officer Puja Khedkar, accused of forging her documents to obtain eligibility for the 2022 Union Public Service Commission test.
A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma asked Khedkar to cooperate in the probe.
During the hearing, the bench said, '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. She has not committed 376 offence (rape).'
The apex court while granting anticipatory bail to her said that she will cooperate with the investigation and shall not in anyway influence the witnesses or tamper with the material on records.
'In the event of arrest, the appellant shall be released on bail, furnishing cash sureties of Rs. 35,000 with two sureties. She shall extend complete cooperation in the ensuing investigation and shall not misuse her liberty, and shall not in any way influence the witnesses or tamper with the material on records. Should there be any violation of the aforesaid conditions, the liberty is reserved to the respondent to seek cancellation of anticipatory bail. With the aforesaid directions, criminal appeal is allowed,' the order stated.
Khedkar is accused of cheating and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination.
Earlier, the apex court had been extending its interim order of granting protection from arrest to Khedkar.
Khedkar has opposed her plea and said that she has not cooperated with the probe.
Khedkar had challenged in the top court the Delhi High Court order rejecting her anticipatory bail plea. In January, the apex court granted her interim protection from arrest and asked her to cooperate in the investigation.
Khedkar is accused of fraudulently availing a reservation meant for Other Backwards Classes (OBC) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities in order to clear the Union Public Service Commission exam (UPSC exam).
The Delhi High Court while dismissing anticipatory bail plea had made strong observations against Khedkar saying its a 'classic example of fraud, not only with a constitutional body but also with society and the nation as a whole.'
The High Court had emphasised that interrogation is necessary to uncover the conspiracy involved.
The High Court had also highlighted that the father and mother held high-ranking positions, suggesting the possibility of collusion with influential individuals.
Khedkar is facing criminal charges filed by the Delhi Police, accusing her of cheating and unlawfully claiming OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination. (ANI)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
20 minutes ago
- Economic Times
How fake meat export deal cost Delhi NRI more than $81,000, and the suspect vanished without a trace
A Delhi businessman has been allegedly defrauded of Rs 1.3 crore by an individual posing as a successful meat exporter. The suspect, after gaining trust through fabricated documents, convinced the victim to invest heavily, promising high returns. The suspect later disappeared, prompting a police investigation into the elaborate scheme. The crime branch is currently investigating the case. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads How it began Investment and false promises Suspect goes missing Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Police action A businessman from East Delhi has alleged that he was cheated out of Rs 1.3 crore by a man who pretended to be a successful meat exporter. The Delhi Police crime branch has now launched an investigation into the complainant, a Non-Resident Indian ( NRI ) currently living in east Delhi, told police he met the suspect in June 2023 through a mutual friend. The man claimed to be running a profitable meat export business and showed fake documents to support his claims. Convinced by the fake paperwork, the businessman agreed to support the venture.A few weeks later, the suspect convinced the complainant to invest money, promising high returns by January 2025. Trusting him, the businessman invested large sums, including his father's life savings. The payments, totalling Rs 67.7 lakh, were made via cheques to an account belonging to someone introduced as the suspect's business October and November 2024, the suspect claimed he needed an additional $80,000 (around Rs 69.3 lakh) to handle a shipment issue in Dubai. This money was arranged through the help of a friend in the UAE and handed over to one of the suspect's contacts January 2025, a WhatsApp chat showed the suspect admitting to owing money. But when the complainant began asking for repayment, the suspect avoided contact. He eventually switched off his phone, changed his number, and even vacated the place where he had been living with the the businessman contacted the so-called manager, he was shocked to learn that the person was not part of any business partnership. He revealed that the suspect had asked him to transfer all the funds to his personal account, and the money was never used for any export on the complaint and initial findings, police found enough evidence to file a formal case of cheating. A detailed investigation is now from agencies
India Today
23 minutes ago
- India Today
Siddaramaiah slams PM Modi's 11 years at Centre: Unfulfilled promises, zero marks
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah delivered a sharp critique of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, marking its 11 years in power with a strong rebuke of what he described as 'unfulfilled promises' and 'zero marks'. Speaking on the anniversary, Siddaramaiah questioned the government's performance and the numerous commitments it made but failed to keep.'Modi is surviving only because of continuous campaigning. What happened to demonetisation? Who benefited from it? He promised Achhe Din, where are they? What happened to the promise of providing two crore jobs every year? He also assured the resolution of farmers' issues, what happened to that? Why did farmers protest for a year if their issues were being addressed?' Siddaramaiah He criticised the government for not delivering on its promises and suggested that the Prime Minister's frequent campaigning was a distraction. 'Most of the promises made by the Modi government were not fulfilled. They have only completed 11 years, that's all. What actually happened is, since he's always involved in campaigning, the media gives him excessive coverage.'Siddaramaiah also accused the Modi government of copying schemes pioneered by his state government. 'When we announced our guarantee schemes, they said it was impossible to implement and that the state would go bankrupt. But now, they've copied our schemes. Isn't that true? They have implemented similar programs in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Rajasthan.'He went on to highlight the Prime Minister's record on fiscal federalism, saying, 'When he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he demanded 50 per cent devolution of taxes. But after becoming the Prime Minister, what did he do? Nothing. And you in the media don't even highlight that.'advertisementSiddaramaiah also accused the central government of neglecting Karnataka financially. 'Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman promised to give Rs 5,300 crore, did they give it? The 11th Pay Commission recommended Rs 11,495 crore for the state, was that given? When we ask the Bharatiya Janata Party to demand justice for Karnataka, they remain silent. Instead, they continue spreading fake narratives.'Concluding his remarks, the Chief Minister gave the Modi government a harsh assessment. 'I give the Modi government zero marks.' IN THIS STORY#Karnataka#Bengaluru
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
"Sonam Made Raja Wear Rs 10 Lakh Gold For Honeymoon": Murdered Man's Mother
New Delhi: Sonam Raghuvanshi had made all the bookings, including travel and stay, for their honeymoon trip to Meghalaya - but did not book a return ticket, the murdered Indore-based businessman's mother said on Monday. According to Uma Raghuvanshi, Sonam may have also extended their trip to Shillong. However, Sonam did not provide any details of the trip to either of the families. "Sonam booked the tickets for the trip, and she may have extended the trip to Shillong, as my son did not know about the region. Her mother told that they visited Shillong last year," the victim's mother said. Honeymoon murder live updates Officials said that the couple had left for their trip to the Northeastern state wearing all their gold jewellery. While Sonam went to the airport directly from her parents' house, Raja left his house wearing gold jewellery worth more than Rs 10 lakh, which included a diamond ring, a chain, and a bracelet. When Raja's mother questioned him, he told her that Sonam wanted him to wear it. "If Sonam is involved in the murder, then she should be hanged. The police did not even tell in the morning that Sonam had been found. A CBI investigation should take place. If Sonam has not done anything, why would she be accused? Sonam had good behaviour, she used to hug me," Ms Uma said. She also questioned if Sonam had loved her son, why would she leave him to die. "How is she safe? All people behind this should be strictly punished," she said. Raja and Sonam, who got married on May 11, were visiting Cherrapunjee in the East Khasi Hills for their honeymoon when they went missing on May 23. The couple arrived in Nongriat a day earlier and were last spotted checking out of Balaji Homestay. A scooter that they had rented was found abandoned at Sohrarim a day after they went missing. Ten days later, Raja's body was found inside a deep gorge below the Weisawdong Parking Lot at Riat Arliang. A machete suspected to have been used to murder him was also recovered. On Saturday night, officials found Sonam in an unconscious state at a 'dhaba' in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur. She was taken to the Ghazipur Medical College for treatment, where she surrendered before the police and was subsequently arrested. The police have claimed that the victim's wife had an extramarital affair that allegedly drove her to hire contract killers to eliminate her husband. She orchestrated the murder in connivance with her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, and surrendered under pressure, they said. Preliminary investigation also revealed that Sonam used to talk to Raju Kushwaha often. Officials also found CCTVs in which three to four people from Madhya Pradesh were identified - who were the contract killers.
