슬롯사이트˜Track up Investigation Steadfastly슬롯사이트�: Supreme Court Extends Relief to Ex-IAS Trainee Officer Puja Khedkar
"You must track up this investigation steadfastly," it told the Delhi Police as it had asked Puja Khedkar to continue her cooperation in the ongoing investigation.
New Delhi, April 15:슬롯 머신 사이트 추천The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended, till next week, its earlier order directing that no coercive action be taken against sacked Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who allegedly submitted false OBC and PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) certificates and fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limits provided for the civil services examination by faking her identity.
A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and S.C. Sharma decided to adjourn the proceedings after Khedkar슬롯사이트™s counsel submitted that the reply to the counter affidavit filed by the Delhi Police has been filed but has not yet come on record. Posting the matter for hearing on April 21, the Justice Nagarathna-led Bench asked the apex court registry to verify the status of the rejoinder affidavit filed on Khedkar슬롯사이트™s behalf and, in the meantime, ordered extension of the interim relief. Puja Khedkar Controversy: UPSC Scans 15 Years슬롯사이트� Data of 15,000 IAS Candidates, Only Probationary IAS Officer Emerges As Black Sheep.
In an earlier hearing, the top court questioned Delhi Police over the slow pace of the investigation in the matter. Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, who appeared on behalf of the Delhi Police, had submitted that Khedkar슬롯사이트™s custodial interrogation was necessary to probe the "larger scam" and find out the names of the middlemen involved. "We want to investigate whether this (Puja Khedkar슬롯사이트™s) is an isolated case or there is a larger number of cases," he said.
At this, the apex court remarked that the Delhi Police could widen the scope of the investigation but questioned the need for Khedkar슬롯사이트™s custodial interrogation. "You must track up this investigation steadfastly," it told the Delhi Police as it had asked Puja Khedkar to continue her cooperation in the ongoing investigation. Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing on Puja Khedkar슬롯사이트™s behalf, submitted that she is "willing and available" to attend the probe launched by the Delhi Police.
On January 15, the apex court asked the Delhi Police and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to file their replies to Khedkar슬롯사이트™s anticipatory bail plea as it passed an ad interim protection from arrest in her favour. Previously, the Delhi High Court had dismissed Khedkar슬롯사이트™s pre-arrest bail petition and vacated its earlier order shielding her from arrest. In its judgment delivered on December 15, 2024, a Bench of Justice Chandra Dhari Singh opined that prima facie, a strong case was made out against Khedkar, adding that custodial interrogation of a person accused of an offence of such nature is required to unearth the facts. Puja Khedkar Dismissed: Centre Sacks Controversial Officer From IAS With Immediate Effect.
The bench, on November 28, 2024, reserved its decision on her anticipatory bail plea after hearing both sides. It was then clarified that till the judgment is delivered, the interim relief granted earlier on August 12, shielding Khedkar from arrest, will continue. Before this, a trial court here had turned down her anticipatory bail plea and asked the investigating agency to find out if anyone from inside the UPSC had helped Khedkar. Widening the scope of the probe, Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala had asked Delhi Police to investigate if other people recommended by the UPSC have availed quota benefits without entitlement.
The Centre, on September 7, 2024, sacked Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) with immediate effect, a month after the UPSC cancelled her selection in government service. Khedkar has been found guilty of faking and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits. After cancelling her selection, the UPSC also barred her for life from taking the entrance exam after finding her guilty of faking her identity to take the exam multiple times.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 15, 2025 04:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).