Has Puja Khedkar Fled To Dubai To Avoid Police Crackdown?

Controversial IAS trainee Puja Khedkar, who is accused of posing as an OBC non-creamy layer candidate in her Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) candidature, has reportedly fled to Dubai to avoid her arrest, claims reports.

Authorities will consider the possibility of launching an international manhunt to apprehend her, if the claims are believed to be true.

The speculations emerged after Delhi's Patiala House court on Thursday denied anticipatory bail to Khedkar, saying these are serious allegations that "require a thorough investigation".

"Custodial interrogation of the accused is required to unearth the whole conspiracy and to establish involvement of the other persons involved in conspiracy," Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala said.

Khedkar, who has not been arrested in the case, had approached the court through her lawyer, saying she faces "immediate threat of arrest".

In response to Khedkar's claim she was falsely implicated in the case and was a victim of media trial and witch-hunt, the judge said the argument was not tenable because there were sufficient incriminating material on record. "Therefore, reporting of the incriminating material which is on record could not be considered as 'media trial' or 'witch hunt," the judge said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the UPSC cancelled the provisional candidature of Khedkar and debarred her from taking future exams.

A Show Cause Notice (SCN) was issued by the UPSC to Khedkar, a provisionally recommended candidate of the Civil Services Examination-2022 (CSE-2022) on July 18 for fraudulently availing attempts beyond the permissible limit provided for in the Examination Rules by faking her identity.

She was asked submit her response to the SCN by July 25. However, she requested for further time till August 4 so that she could gather the necessary documents for her response but she was given until July 30 to submit the documents, which she failed to do.

Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer, is accused of posing as an OBC non-creamy layer candidate in her Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) candidature. She also claimed that she was visually and mentally disabled, but refused to take tests to corroborate her claims. The UPSC had lodged a criminal case against her, alleging that she had manipulated her identity, including her parents' names, to secure a place in the civil service.

The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie had issued eight memos to Khedkar for misconduct during her training. These accumulating charges against her intensified the pressure for her arrest.

She came under the spotlight after reports about her alleged demands for a separate office and official car and unauthorised use of a beacon on her private car during her posting in Pune emerged. She was subsequently transferred to Washim from Pune.