Puja Khedkar cannot be arrested before Aug 21: Delhi HC
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New Delhi: In the case of cheating and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits, the Delhi High Court granted immunity to former probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar for arrest till August 21, PTI reported.
Justice Subramonium Prasad issued notice to the Delhi Police as well as the UPSC on the anticipatory bail plea by Khedkar and asked them to file their responses.
"In the facts of the present case, the court is of the opinion that the petitioner should not be arrested till the next date of hearing," Justice Prasad said.
The court listed the case for further hearing on August 21.
Khedkar allegedly misrepresented information in her application for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, 2022, to get reservation benefits.
On July 31, the UPSC cancelled Khedkar's candidature and debarred her from future exams.
On August 1, a sessions court here denied anticipatory bail to her and said there were serious allegations against her, which "require a thorough investigation".
Khedkar had approached the sessions court, saying she faced an "immediate threat of arrest".
Regarding the controversies surrounding Puja, there was also an incident of Pune Police detaining her mother, Manorama Khedkar, for reportedly possessing an illegal firearm, causing more headaches to the officer facing allegations over her UPSC candidature.
Manorama Khedkar was seen in a viral video holding a pistol and confronting local farmers in Pune district's Mulshi village over a land dispute.
She was seen in a heated argument with a farmer over land documents allegedly in her name.
As the situation escalated, she pulled out a firearm threateningly but quickly hid it, having noticed a camera recording the encounter.
Following the incident, Manorama was hiding in a lodge near the Raigad Fort in Raigad district when Pune Police came to detain her.