The Supreme Court on Tuesday reprimanded the Delhi Police over dealy in the investigation against former IAS probationary officer Puja Khedkar, accused of submitting fake OBC & PwD certificates during the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination, 2022.
The Bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma directed the Delhi Police to steadfast the investigation, pointing out that Khedkar had submitted in her affidavit that she was willing to cooperate with the probe.
The top court of the country extended the interim protection from arrest granted to Khedkar in January and listed the matter for further hearing on April 15.
Appearing for the Delhi Police, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju sought custodial interrogation of the accused in order to investigate the ‘larger’ scam involving fake documents submitted by UPSC candidates.
The Bench asked the ASG the difference between normal interrogation and custodial interrogation.
ASG Raju pointed out that Khedkar was entitled to nine attempts at the examination, based on her OBC quota and disability, however, she made more attempts by forging documents and changing names, which was not permissible.
He further pressed for custodial interrogation to get the names of the middlemen, such as those involved in giving out fake certificates. The Police wanted to investigate whether hers was an isolated case or if there were more such cases, he added.
Noting that Khedkar was not a kingpin issuing certificates, the top court of the country said that even if there were a large number of cases, the Police could investigate the same.
It further directed the Delhi Police to find the source from where Khedkar got the allegedly forged certificates. Khedkar was not required to be necessarily kept in custody for the purpose, added the Bench.
The Counsel representing Khedkar refuted the allegations of forgery, stating that she had been attempting the UPSC examination since 2012. In 2018, she was diagnosed with a low-vision disability of 40 percent, making her eligible for nine attempts. Since then, she has attempted UPSC thrice. Therefore, her attempt as a disabled candidate had not been exhausted, he added.
The Bench, however, orally remarked that no person could avail separate attempts as abled and then as disabled. It was important to justify the sum total of all attempts, it added.
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