SC grants anticipatory bail to ex-IAS officer Puja Khedkar in fake certificate case
New Delhi, May 21 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, who is facing serious allegations of submitting forged OBC and PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) certificates to clear the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination.
A Bench comprising Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma allowed the criminal appeal filed by Khedkar challenging the Delhi High Court's earlier denial of anticipatory bail.
'In view of the nature of offences and facts and circumstances of the case, this is a fit case where the High Court ought to have granted the relief of anticipatory bail,' the Bench observed.
The Court made permanent the interim protection from arrest that had been granted to Khedkar in January.
The final order reads, 'In the event of arrest, the appellant shall be released on bail upon furnishing cash surety of Rs 25,000 along with two live sureties.
She shall extend full cooperation in the investigation, shall not misuse her liberty, and shall not influence witnesses or tamper with evidence. Liberty is reserved to the respondent to seek cancellation of bail in case of any violation.'
The Court rejected the argument of the State Counsel, who contended that Khedkar, while appearing before the investigating agency, was not fully cooperating. It was also argued that the accusations were grave in nature, involving exceeding permissible UPSC attempts by using fake certificates, and therefore she should not be granted anticipatory bail.
Appearing for Khedkar, Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra countered these submissions and maintained that she was entitled to protection under law.
The case against Khedkar stems from an FIR filed by UPSC, which alleged that she forged documents to claim reservation under OBC and PwBD categories, and thereby appeared for the examination beyond the permissible number of attempts.
Earlier, on March 18, the Supreme Court had extended Khedkar's interim protection and denied the Delhi Police's request for custodial interrogation, despite the police's claim that they were probing a 'larger scam' involving forged documents in the civil services examination.
In December 2024, the Delhi High Court had dismissed Khedkar's anticipatory bail plea, holding that she was not prima facie eligible for benefits meant for disadvantaged sections and had manipulated the system through forgery and misrepresentation. The High Court had also expressed concern that releasing her could adversely affect the ongoing investigation.
Khedkar joined the Pune Collectorate as an IAS probationer in June 2024. Following public controversy and the FIR, UPSC issued a show-cause notice for cancellation of her selection and barred her from future exams.
A public statement issued by the UPSC further revealed that Khedkar changed her name, her parents' names, photograph, signature, email ID, mobile number, and residential address to fraudulently obtain additional attempts at the CSE and to fake her social and physical status.
While granting relief, the Supreme Court has made it clear that the bail conditions must be strictly followed, and any breach will allow authorities to seek cancellation.
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