In a big relief for Puja Khedkar, the Delhi high court on Thursday extended interim protection from arrest to former probationary IAS officer till September 5. Earlier, a case was registered against her for fraudulently availing attempts in the UPSC examination beyond the permissible limit by faking her identity. Earlier, the Delhi High Court had extended the interim protection from arrest till August 29.
It should be noted that Puja Khedkar is accused of falsifying and misrepresenting facts in her application to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
The Delhi High Court had instructed the investigation agency not to arrest her while the matter is under consideration, noting that immediate arrest is not deemed necessary.
While hearing the matter, Justice Subramonium Prasad of the Delhi High Court deferred the hearing on suspended IAS officer Pooja Khedkar's anticipatory bail plea to August 29, 2024. The deferral was due to the Delhi Police's reply not being filed on record yet.
Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing Khedkar, also requested additional time to review the UPSC's response, which opposes the anticipatory bail plea.
In the last hearing, the Delhi High Court had issued notices to the Delhi Police and Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) regarding the anticipatory bail plea of suspended IAS officer Puja Khedkar.
The Delhi High Court earlier observed that the trial court's order denying bail for Puja Khedkar lacks substantial discussion, with only a brief mention of the Public Prosecutor's claim about the involvement of others. The High Court has instructed the police not to arrest Khedkar until Friday, pending further proceedings.
