New Delhi:
The Supreme Court on Tuesday told Pooja Khedkar, former trainee officer of the Indian Administrative Service, that he could not get different opportunities to pass the exam as a “general candidate” and a “disabled candidate”. Khedkar is accused of cheating in the Civil Services Examination to be conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSAC) and incorrectly availing OBC (Other Backward Classes) and Divyanga Kota.
A bench of Justice BV Nagratna and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma set the next hearing on Khedkar’s petition on April 15, as his lawyer sought time to file a reply on the Delhi government’s affidavit. The apex court extended the protection from the arrest provided to Khedkar on 15 January till April 15.
Demand to take into custody
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, who appeared on behalf of the Delhi government, said that Khedkar needs to be interrogated to identify the middlemen involved in the alleged case of preparing fake disabilities for UPSC candidates. Advocate Bina Madhavan, who appeared on behalf of Khedkar, said that he has written a letter to the investigating agency and made him aware of his desire to cooperate in the investigation. Justice Sharma told ASG Raju, “If you want to identify middlemen, then he (Khedkar) is ready to cooperate in the investigation.”
On this, Raju argued, “We want to take them into custody, otherwise she will not reveal the identity of the middlemen involved in it.” The ASG said that Khedkar was given nine opportunities to pass the UPSC exam in a regular course, but he got additional opportunities for the examination by preparing fake disabled certificate.
He said that Khedkar was taking the UPSC examination since 2012 and then he made a fake disabled certificate to get some extra opportunities to succeed in the examination. Refuting Raju’s argument, Madhavan said that Khedkar had to appear before the Medical Board of AIIMS for a disability certificate, which confirmed his disability.
What did Khedkar’s lawyer say?
Khedkar’s lawyer said, “As alleged, no fraud was done. I received a disabled certificate in 2018 and my opportunities to pass UPSC exam as a disabled candidate have not ended. “Madhavan argued that she can place such material on records to confirm her claim. Raju argued that not only his disability certificate is fake, but his details in the form are also wrong and misleading, so he urged the court to give a close date for hearing the case. The bench said that she would hear the case on 15 April.
Khedkar is accused of giving incorrect information in his application for UPSC Civil Services Examination of 2022 to get the benefit of reservation. However, he has denied all the allegations against him.
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