On March 18, the Supreme Court once again extended interim protection from arrest to former IAS probationary officer Puja Khedkar, despite the serious fraud allegations against her. This decision, which follows a similar reprieve granted in January, raises concerns about the judiciary’s approach toward individuals accused of manipulating the system for personal gain. While shielding Khedkar, the court turned its scrutiny toward the Delhi Police, questioning why the investigation into her fraudulent OBC and PwD certificates remained incomplete, even when she had assured cooperation in her affidavit.

Khedkar is accused of securing undue benefits in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination by submitting forged disability and caste certificates. Her previous protection from arrest had expired on March 17, prompting her to file an anticipatory bail application, which was reviewed by a bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma. As before, the court prioritized her safety over a decisive legal resolution, choosing instead to defer any real consequences.

While the prosecution insisted that Khedkar's role in this larger fraud scheme warranted custodial interrogation, the court dismissed the request, downplaying her significance in the scam. Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, representing the Delhi Police, argued that she had not only exploited the OBC and disability quotas to gain nine attempts at the UPSC exam but had also exceeded this limit by fabricating documents and changing her identity. He stressed that interrogating her in custody was necessary to uncover the network of middlemen who facilitated the production of fake documents.

“We have found that this is a scam which may involve persons who are involved in giving certificates, etc. We want to investigate whether hers is an isolated case or there is a larger number of cases,” Raju stated. However, Justice Sharma appeared unmoved, responding, “If larger number of cases, you can investigate. She is not the kingpin who is issuing certificates.” The implication seemed clear: unless Khedkar herself had been printing the fraudulent documents, her arrest was unnecessary.

Justice Nagarathna went further, questioning the need for her detention altogether, arguing that she could simply provide the details of the sources who issued her forged documents without being taken into custody. This stance effectively granted Khedkar yet another layer of protection, allowing her to evade the level of scrutiny that would ordinarily apply in cases of fraud at this scale.

Khedkar’s legal defense countered the forgery allegations by asserting that she had only made three attempts at the UPSC exam since being diagnosed with a low-vision handicap in 2018. According to her counsel, “Since 2012, I had been attempting the UPSC examination and in 2018, for the first time, I was found to be eligible for 40% disability which entitles me to nine attempts.” However, the court itself acknowledged that such a claim was baseless. “No, no, total number of attempts (has to be that). You cannot have separate attempts for abled and separate attempts for disabled,” the bench clarified, pointing out the blatant misuse of the system.

Despite this recognition, the court still refrained from taking strong action. Justice Sharma merely remarked, “You must have to justify your attempts,” while Justice Nagarathna advised the prosecution to “track up this investigation steadfastly.” Yet, with Khedkar safely shielded from arrest, the effectiveness of this so-called steadfast investigation remains questionable.

The next hearing is scheduled for April 15, giving Khedkar ample time to prepare yet another legal maneuver to prolong her protection. In the meantime, the court’s continued reluctance to allow her custodial interrogation raises troubling questions about the extent to which legal institutions are willing to hold fraudulent officials accountable. If those who manipulate the system to secure prestigious government positions can consistently evade consequences, it sets a dangerous precedent—one that undermines the very integrity of institutions like the UPSC.

Judiciary Comes to Puja Khedkar’s Rescue, Again and Again

The judiciary, in what now appears to be a well-rehearsed performance, has once again extended a protective shield around Puja Khedkar, ensuring that the law bends gracefully for those who know how to play the system. On August 12, 2024, the Delhi High Court generously granted her interim protection from arrest until August 21, as if justice needed an intermission before deciding whether fraud deserves consequences. The court did summon responses from the Delhi Police and the UPSC, but the real question was whether these institutions could ever present an argument strong enough to pierce the judicial cocoon surrounding Khedkar.

When August 21 arrived, the court, evidently unimpressed by the Delhi Police and the UPSC’s insistence that she should be arrested, simply extended her protection until August 29. Because in India’s legal circus, it seems certain performers are always given an encore.

Then, on August 29, Khedkar decided to take the script into her own hands. She argued before the Delhi High Court that the UPSC had no power to dismiss her after her appointment and that only the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) could take action. With a confidence only the legally untouchable can possess, she outright denied all allegations of fraud, stating that she had never altered her name between 2012 and 2022. A simple, four-page rebuttal was all it took for the court to extend her protection from arrest—again—this time until September 5.

On September 5, when the Delhi Police pressed further, claiming that one of Khedkar’s disability certificates was fake, she suddenly discovered a newfound willingness to undergo a medical examination at AIIMS. “I am willing to get myself medically examined. First, they say I changed my name. Now they say disability is questionable. I am willing to go to AIIMS,” she announced, as if she were the one being unfairly persecuted. The court, once again displaying extraordinary patience for her theatrics, scheduled another hearing for September 26 and, of course, extended her protection until then.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police had already warned that such leniency was derailing their investigation into a long-running conspiracy, one with serious implications for public trust in the civil services examination. But the judiciary seemed to have made its stance clear: the legal system exists to protect some more than others.

Puja Khedkar’s Multiple Frauds

While Khedkar continues to be treated as a delicate flower by the courts, her record tells a very different story. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) had already permanently barred her from all future examinations and selections, cancelling her selection entirely. The reason? “Misrepresenting information” in her application for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, 2022. A formal complaint was filed against her in Delhi, but given her impressive streak of avoiding consequences, one could hardly expect that to matter.

Then came June 2024, when Khedkar found herself making headlines yet again—not for her fraudulent certificates this time, but for misusing her position as Pune Collector. The Pune Collector’s office was, for a brief period, reduced to her personal kingdom, where she allegedly made grand demands before even officially taking charge.

A report submitted by Pune Collector Suhas Diwse to the General Administration Department (GAD) detailed her insistence on a separate cabin, a personal vehicle, accommodations, and even a peon—all this while she was still a probationary officer. She was politely informed that accommodations would be arranged, but she was not entitled to a fleet of royal privileges during her probation. That, of course, did not sit well with her or her father, who promptly resorted to threats.

“The father-daughter duo are making unfair demands and harassing the officers for demands that cannot be fulfilled,” an official revealed, painting a picture of sheer entitlement wrapped in arrogance.

As if this weren’t enough, Khedkar reportedly took it upon herself to remove a senior official’s nameplate from the Pune Collector’s office, effectively asserting her dominance over a space she had no right to claim. Her brazen actions prompted Pune Collector Diwse to recommend that she be barred from continuing her training in Pune.

But none of this seems to matter in a system that has spent more time ensuring her comfort than prosecuting her crimes. If Khedkar’s case is any indication, the legal machinery is not only broken but actively ensuring that frauds within the bureaucracy get multiple lifelines while the common citizen struggles for a single chance at justice.