Delhi High Court denies anticipatory bail to former IAS officer in UPSC fraud case

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of former IAS officer Puja Khedkar, accused of cheating in the civil services examination by allegedly misusing the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disabled quotas.

Justice Chander Dhari Singh dismissed the plea, stating that a prima facie strong case had been established against Khedkar, warranting further investigation to uncover the alleged conspiracy.

The court emphasized that the case involved not only cheating the constitutional institution but also society at large.

Khedkar is accused of providing false information in her application for the 2022 UPSC Civil Services Examination to unlawfully benefit from reservation policies.

The Delhi Police and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) opposed the bail plea, with senior advocate Naresh Kaushik and advocate Vardhman Kaushik representing the UPSC.

Khedkar has denied all allegations leveled against her.