HC cites 'motive to dupe UPSC' to deny Khedkar pre-arrest bail

The Delhi high court on Monday refused to grant anticipatory bail to former probationary Indian Administrative (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar, observing that her actions in faking her identity to fraudulently avail attempts in the public service examination were driven by the motive to dupe the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) as part of a larger conspiracy to manipulate the system.

- Shruti Kakkar

NEW DELHI:

Calling the present case a "classic example" of a fraud committed not only against UPSC, which is a constitutional body, but also society at large, a bench of justice Chandra Dhari Singh ruled that necessary interrogation is warranted to reveal all the aspects related to the alleged fraud committed against the nation.

Justice Singh, while refusing pre-arrest bail to Khedkar, noted that she appeared to have forged documents to reap benefits out of the schemes introduced for the disadvantaged group of the society. Also, there was a high possibility that her parents, who held high positions in the Executive, colluded with unknown powerful persons in order to get the requisite certificates produced by her, the court added.