HC seeks stand of Puja Khedkar on perjury claim by UPSC in anticipatory bail case

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the stand of Puja Khedkar on the UPSC's allegation that the former IAS probationer committed perjury by making a false statement in relation to her anticipatory bail plea.

Justice Subramaniam Prasad asked Khedkar to file her reply to the Commission's application, which is filed in the proceedings on her pre-arrest bail plea.

"I will issue notice. File your reply," Justice Prasad told Khedkar's counsel, and listed the matter for hearing on September 26.

Khedkar has been accused of cheating and wrongly availing Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability quota benefits in civil services examination.

She has denied all allegations against her.

In its application filed through lawyer Vardhman Kaushik, the UPSC submitted that Khedkar, in her rejoinder, made an "absolutely false" statement on affidavit that the Commission had collected her biometrics during personality tests.

Seeking initiation of inquiry and appropriate proceedings against her for the violation, the application alleged that even in another proceedings pending in the high court, Khedkar has committed "perjury", which is an offence under the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita.

Senior advocate Naresh Kaushik, appearing for the UPSC, said her conduct was "dangerously wrong".

"The claim that the Commission collected her biometrics is absolutely false made with the sole aim and purpose of deceiving this Hon'ble Court for obtaining favourable orders. The said claim is denied since the Commission did not collect any biometric (eyes and fingerprints) during her Personality Test or carried out any attempts verification on the basis of the same. The Commission has not collected any biometric information from any candidate during the Personality Test of the Civil Services Examinations held so far," the application said.

"There is little doubt in the conclusion that the conduct of Ms. Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar amounts to perjury," it asserted.

Khedkar's counsel, on the other hand, termed the application a "pressure tactic".

Khedkar allegedly misrepresented information in her application for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, 2022 to get reservation benefits.

The high court has earlier granted her interim protection from arrest in the case.

Both the UPSC and the Delhi Police have sought dismissal of her plea for pre-arrest bail.

The Delhi Police has claimed that any relief to her would hinder its probe into the "deep-rooted conspiracy" and that the case has wider implications on public trust as well as the integrity of the civil services examination.

The UPSC has earlier said Khedkar committed a fraud against the Commission and the public, and her custodial interrogation was necessary to unearth the "magnitude of the fraud" that could not have been done without the help of other individuals.

The UPSC initiated a series of actions against Khedkar in July, including lodging a criminal case against her for availing attempts in the civil services exam by faking her identity.

The Delhi Police has registered an FIR under provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Information Technology Act and Right of Persons with Disabilities Act.