THE Supreme Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, accused of cheating, and wronglyavailing OBC and disability quota benefits inthe civil services examination. A bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathnaand Satish Chandra Sharma directed Khedkarto cooperate in the probe. “What is the grave crime she has committed? She is not a drug lord oraterrorist. Shehas not committed 302 (murder). She is not anNDPS offender. You should haveasystem or a software.

 

You complete the investigation. Shehas lost everything and will not get a job anywhere,” the bench observed orally. “Bearinginmindthefactsandcircumstancesof the case, this is a fit case where the Delhi High Court ought to have granted bail to thepetitioner,” the bench noted.

 

The counsel for the Delhi Police vehemently opposed grant of anticipatory bail to Khedkar, saying she was not cooperating in the probeand allegations against her were serious. Khedkarisaccusedofmisrepresentinginformation in her application for the 2022 UPSCcivil services examination for availing reservationbenefits. Shehas refutedallthe allegationsagainst her. TheUPSCinitiateda seriesofactionsagainstKhedkar, including lodging of a criminal case, for availing attempts in the civil services examby faking heridentity. Delhi Police also filed anFIR against her for various offences.