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What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
NEW DELHI – The Delhi Police, in a recent status report to the Delhi High Court, has revealed that former trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar submitted two disability certificates. Authorities suspect that one of these certificates may be forged. This revelation has increased the likelihood of her arrest in the coming days.
The status report states, “Disability Certificate (Multiple Disability) vide No. MH2610119900342407 has not been issued by the Issuing Medical Authority, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, as per our Civil Surgeon Office Records. This strongly suggests that the Disability Certificate is forged and fabricated.”
Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea is scheduled for a hearing on September 5 in the Delhi High Court. Previously, the High Court had instructed the Delhi Police to refrain from taking any coercive measures against her until further orders. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has been vocal in calling for Khedkar’s arrest, arguing that it is essential to expose and dismantle any broader conspiracy involving the use of fake documents to gain entry into the UPSC examinations.
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In her defence, Khedkar has filed a rejoinder in the Delhi High Court, asserting that the UPSC does not possess the authority to disqualify her from the examination process. She contends that while the UPSC conducts the civil services examination, it lacks the jurisdiction to disqualify candidates on these grounds.
Previously, the Delhi High Court had issued notices to both the Delhi Police and the UPSC regarding Khedkar’s anticipatory bail application. The court had also directed the police not to proceed with her arrest during the ongoing legal proceedings, emphasizing that an immediate arrest was unnecessary.
The High Court had earlier criticised the trial court’s decision to deny Khedkar bail, noting the lack of in-depth analysis in the order, which only briefly mentioned the prosecutor’s assertion of other individuals’ involvement. The court extended the non-arrest order until Friday, pending further developments.
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The UPSC has labelled Khedkar as a “mastermind,” arguing that her actions likely involved collaboration with others, thus justifying the need for custodial interrogation to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy.
Khedkar’s plea in the Delhi High Court follows the rejection of her bail application by the Patiala House Court last week, where the court deemed the allegations against her—related to manipulating her identity to secure additional attempts in the civil services exam—as serious and warranting a comprehensive investigation.
