Delhi HC extends interim arrest protection of Puja Khedkar till September 5

On Thursday the Delhi High Court extended interim protection from arrest for suspended IAS officer Puja Khedkar The extension remains in effect until the next hearing date which is September 5 2024 reported news agency ANIJustice Subramonium Prasad of the Delhi High Court has deferred the hearing on suspended IAS officer Pooja Khedkars anticipatory bail plea to September 5 reported ANIThe deferral was due to the Delhi Police seeking time to go through the rejoinder filed by the applicant suspended IAS officer Puja Khedkar and also to file a fresh status reportPuja Khedkar informs court that UPSC lacks the authority to disqualify herPuja Khedkar facing allegations of cheating and improperly securing OBC and disability quota benefits through her rejoinder in the Delhi High Court informed that the Union Public Service Commission UPSC lacks the authority to disqualify her Khedkar argued that the UPSC which administers the civil services examination does not have the jurisdiction to disqualify candidates in such mattersEarlier the same bench of 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 court had also instructed the investigation agency not to arrest her while the matter is under consideration noting that immediate arrest is not deemed necessary reported ANIThe Delhi High Court earlier observed that the trial courts order denying bail for suspended IAS officer Puja Khedkar lacks substantial discussion with only a brief mention of the Public Prosecutors claim about the involvement of others The High Court has instructed the police not to arrest Khedkar until Friday pending further proceedings reported ANIUPSC had argued that Puja Khedkar is a mastermind and that her actions would not have been possible without the assistance of others This argument supports their position that custodial interrogation is necessarySuspended IAS officer Puja Khedkars plea in Delhi High Court follows the dismissal of her plea by Delhis Patiala House Court last week which found the allegations against herrelated to falsifying identity for extra attempts in the civil services examinationto be serious and in need of thorough investigationThe trial court Judge said that custodial interrogation of the accused is required to unearth the whole conspiracy and to establish the involvement of the other persons involved in the conspiracy In the present facts and circumstances I am of the considered opinion that it is not a fit case to exercise discretionary powers of anticipatory bail in favour of the accused said Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar JangalaInvestigating agency needs to widen its scope of investigation says CourtThe court noted that in the present case the applicantaccused has been charged with the commission of an offence punishable under Section 420468471120B IPC and 66D IT Act and 8991 Rights of Persons with Disability Act 2016 The applicantaccused has cheated the complainant by misrepresentationThe complainantUPSC to attain the misrepresentation has prepared various documents to support her claim The conspiracy has been hatched in a preplanned manner The conspiracy was executed by the applicantaccused in many years said the court reported ANIThe applicantaccused alone could not have executed the conspiracy without the assistance of some outsider or insider It is also contended by a lawyer for Delhi Police that the OBC noncreamy layer status and person with multiple benchmark disability is also under scrutiny and investigation noted the Court reported ANIThe court further said The complainantUPSC being a Constitutional body is conducting the exams for the prestigious posts to which the aspirants from the whole country are applying Therefore the complainant is required to maintain the highest degree of transparency and fairness in its standard operating Procedure It is an admitted case of the complainant also that its standard operating procedureSOP has been breached by the applicantaccused therefore the complainant should introspect because its scrutiny system has failed to curb the breach The present case may be only the tip of the iceberg because if the applicantaccused can breach the scrutiny system of the complainant why not others reported ANITherefore in order to maintain the reputation fairness sanctity and faith of aspirants and the general public there is a need on the part of the complainant to strengthen its SOP to ensure that such an event does not occur in future The complainant also needs to relook its recommendations made in the recent past to find out the candidates a who have illegally availed the attempts beyond permissible limits b who have obtained the OBCnoncreamy layer benefit despite not being entitled c who had obtained the benefits of persons with benchmark disability despite being not entitled said the court reported ANIThe investigating agency also needs to widen its scope of investigation Hence the investigating agency is directed to conduct its investigation in all fairness to find out the candidates recommended in the recent past a Who have illegally availed the attempts beyond permissible limits b who have obtained the OBC noncreamy layer benefit despite not being entitled c Who had obtained the benefits of persons with benchmark disability despite being not entitled and d the investigating agency shall also find out whether some insider from the complainant side has also helped the applicant to attain her illegal goals stated the court reported ANIRecently the Delhi High Court has granted liberty to former probationary IAS Puja Khedkar to approach the appropriate forum to challenge the cancellation of her candidatureWith inputs from ANI