The Supreme Court on May 21 granted anticipatory bail to former IAS probationary officer Puja Khedkar, who was accused of submitting fake OBC and PwD certificates in the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma passed the order while hearing Khedkar’s plea. The Court had earlier, in January, granted her interim protection from arrest, which has now been made absolute.
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“Having regard to the nature of offences registered against her and bearing in mind the facts and circumstances of the case, this is a fit case where the High Court ought to have granted the relief of anticipatory bail to the appellant herein,” the bench stated.
The Supreme Court ruled that if Khedkar is arrested, she should be released on bail after furnishing cash surety of ₹25,000 and two live sureties. She must fully cooperate with the investigation, avoid misuse of liberty, and must not influence witnesses or tamper with evidence.
“Should there be any violation of the aforesaid conditions, the liberty is reserved to the respondent to seek cancellation of anticipatory bail,” the Court added.
The Court also rejected the argument of the State Counsel that Khedkar was not cooperating with the investigation despite appearing before authorities. The State highlighted that serious allegations were involved, claiming Khedkar exceeded the permitted number of UPSC attempts using fake documents.
Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra appeared on behalf of Khedkar.
Earlier, on March 18, the Court extended her interim protection and refused Delhi Police’s request for custodial interrogation, which was sought to investigate a possible wider scam involving fake certificates in UPSC.
In December 2024, the Delhi High Court had dismissed her anticipatory bail plea. It observed that Khedkar, prima facie, was not a suitable candidate to receive benefits meant for disadvantaged groups. It further said her actions seemed part of a larger conspiracy to manipulate the system, and her bail could impact the ongoing investigation.
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Khedkar had joined the Pune Collectorate in June 2024 for her probationary training. The allegations claim she misused OBC and PwBD quotas to qualify in the UPSC exam.
A formal FIR was lodged by UPSC, followed by a show-cause notice regarding the cancellation of her selection. Khedkar has also been barred from appearing in future UPSC exams.
According to a public statement by UPSC, an in-depth inquiry revealed she had fraudulently availed extra attempts by faking her identity. It was found that she had changed her name, photograph, signature, contact details, and even the names of her parents.
“She fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limit under the Examination Rules by faking her identity,” the UPSC stated.
This case continues to be under investigation as authorities look into the larger scam involving forged documents in civil service examinations.
Case Details : PUJA MANORAMA DILIP KHEDKAR vs. STATE OF NCT OF DELHI| SLP(Crl) No. 000357 - / 2025
