The Supreme Court directed former IAS probationary officer Puja Khedkar to respond on April 15 to allegations that she fraudulently misused quota to appear in multiple Civil Services Examinations (CSE). Delhi Police charges that Khedkar had availed the benefits of Other Backward Class (OBC) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) both to escape attempt limits and take a place in the elite civil services.
To be on the safe side, Justice BV Nagarathna, with Justice SC Sharma, was concerned about the alleged misuse, adding that “You cannot have different attempts as an abled candidate and then additional attempts as a disabled candidate. You must justify your position.” While hearing its anticipatory bail plea, the court made these observations. An order of protection from arrest or any coercive action by the police and notice on the plea was first issued on January 15 this year. Now, the bench has extended this protection up to the next hearing.
IAS officer Puja Khedkar from the Maharashtra cadre of the 2023 batch was released from service on September 7 last year. This is just a few weeks after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) had, on July 31, cancelled her candidature on account of serious irregularities.
According to the charges of Delhi Police, Khedkar might be a part of a bigger racket to exploit quota provisions for multiple jabs at the CSE. However, Khedkar says that she still had remaining attempts under the PwBD category. Now, the Supreme Court has asked her to explain and stand up to the charges against her. The case still remains a talking point because reservation policies have been cited as being misused, whereas there is a need for stricter monitoring of civil services examinations.
Join our whatsapp group for Latest updates
Click Here for Chhattisgarh News
Click Here for Entertainment News