Supreme Court to Hear Bail Plea of Ex-IAS Probationer in Fraud Case

Puja Khedkar, facing accusations of misusing OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services exam, has sought anticipatory bail from the Supreme Court. The Delhi High Court previously denied her bail, citing a strong prima facie case and the need to investigate potential systemic manipulation.

Puja Khedkar, a former IAS probationer, has approached the Supreme Court seeking anticipatory bail after she was accused of fraudulently obtaining benefits through OBC and disability quotas in the civil services examination.

The Supreme Court bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma is set to hear her application on January 15. This follows a December 2024 decision by the Delhi High Court that denied Khedkar's anticipatory bail, noting a strong initial case against her and the necessity of an investigation to reveal a potential larger conspiracy to manipulate the system.

Despite Khedkar's claims of innocence and willingness to cooperate with the investigation, the Delhi Police and the UPSC opposed her bail plea, arguing her custodial interrogation was critical to exposing the full extent of the alleged fraud. An FIR has been filed by Delhi Police citing multiple offenses, while UPSC has initiated a series of actions against her.

(With inputs from agencies.)