National Desk
16 April
Sandeep Dhand
Journalist Research Analysist
The Supreme Court has extended the protection from arrest for former IAS probationer Pooja Khedkar until April 21. Khedkar is accused of fraudulently availing benefits under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disabled categories during the civil services examination process.
A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma heard the matter and noted that Khedkar’s lawyer had already submitted a response to the Delhi government’s reply. However, this response was not reflected in the official records. Taking note of this, the court has asked the registry to verify whether the response has been formally filed.
Meanwhile, the court accepted the plea from Khedkar’s legal team to extend the interim protection from arrest until the next date of hearing. The matter is now scheduled to be heard again on April 21.
Earlier, on March 8, the Supreme Court had remarked orally that a candidate cannot attempt to qualify for the civil services exam separately under different categories, such as ‘meritorious candidate’ and ‘disabled candidate,’ in an attempt to gain multiple advantages.
Pooja Khedkar is under scrutiny for allegedly using forged documents to claim eligibility under reserved categories, despite not fulfilling the criteria. The case has raised serious concerns over the misuse of reservation policies in competitive examinations.
The Supreme Court’s extension of interim relief provides Khedkar temporary protection, but the court is continuing to evaluate the legality of her claims. The outcome of the hearing on April 21 will be crucial in deciding the future course of legal action against her.