New Delhi: The Delhi Police has informed the high court that former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar presented two disability certificates to claim multiple disabilities, but the investigation has revealed that one of the documents might be "forged" and "fabricated."

This submission was made in response to Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea. She is accused of cheating and unlawfully availing benefits from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability quotas.

According to the police, Khedkar submitted the two disability certificates for the Civil Services Examinations 2022 and 2023. Verification by the "Issuing Medical Authority, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra" found that the certificate indicating locomotor disability, hearing impairment, and low vision did not align with the "Civil Surgeon Office Records," increasing the likelihood of forgery.

The case is set for a hearing on September 5. Khedkar is accused of misrepresenting information in her UPSC Civil Services Examination 2022 application to gain reservation benefits. On July 31, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) canceled her candidature and barred her from future exams. Khedkar has denied all allegations.

On August 29, the court extended Khedkar’s interim protection from arrest until September 5. Both the UPSC and Delhi Police have requested the dismissal of her pre-arrest bail plea. The UPSC claimed Khedkar committed fraud against the commission and the public, and that her custodial interrogation is essential to uncover the "magnitude of the fraud," which likely involved accomplices.

The Delhi Police has argued that granting any relief to Khedkar would impede its investigation into the "deep-rooted conspiracy," highlighting the case’s significant implications for public trust and the integrity of civil services examinations.

The UPSC took a series of actions against Khedkar last month, including filing a criminal case for faking identity to gain exam attempts. The Delhi Police has registered an FIR under various provisions, including the Indian Penal Code, Information Technology Act, and Right of Persons with Disabilities Act.

On August 1, a sessions court denied Khedkar’s anticipatory bail, citing the seriousness of the allegations and the need for a thorough investigation. PTI