UPSC opposes Puja Khedkar's anticipatory bail plea, says custodial probe needed to 'unearth' truth

The commission accused her of committing fraud to gain undue advantage through unfair means, labeling her actions as serious offences with far-reaching consequences for the public at large.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), on Wednesday, opposed Puja Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea, arguing that her custodial interrogation is necessary to "unearth" the truth about the individuals who assisted her in fraudulently obtaining additional civil services examination attempts by faking her identity.

The UPSC stated in an affidavit submitted before the Delhi High Court that the seriousness of the fraud is unprecedented, affecting not only the commission's esteemed reputation but also the public's trust in its credibility. The hearing on Khedkar’s plea is scheduled for Wednesday.

In its 16-page affidavit, the UPSC asserted that Puja Khedkar was involved in a "high level" of complexity and deception, aimed at cheating, misleading, and misrepresenting not only the commission but also other authorities. The commission accused her of committing fraud to gain undue advantage through unfair means, labeling her actions as serious offences with far-reaching consequences for the public at large.

“Such a grave act of misusing and abusing the administrative process in a systemic manner by making incorrect & false statements, regarding her number of attempts and suppressing material information which she was duty bound to disclose, could not have been achieved without the assistance & helping hand of several other individuals, all of which requires to be unearthed by custodial interrogation," the Commission noted in the affidavit.

Khedkar sought relief from the high court after her anticipatory bail was rejected by a Delhi court on August 1. The court highlighted the need for her custodial interrogation to fully unravel the conspiracy, pointing out that Khedkar had not only deceived the UPSC but also unfairly denied rightful opportunities to aspirants with benchmark disabilities.

The court remarked that the conspiracy was carefully orchestrated over several years, likely with the help of others, and hinted that this case might be just the "tip of the iceberg." Additionally, the court instructed the UPSC to enhance its standard operating procedures to prevent such occurrences in the future.

On August 12, the high court granted Khedkar interim protection from arrest until August 21. This decision came after the UPSC, on July 31, cancelled her provisional candidature as a probationary Indian Administrative Service officer and barred her from all future examinations or selections.