Puja Khedkar, a former probationary IAS officer, has informed the Delhi High Court that she has not received the official order canceling her UPSC candidature, learning about it only through media reports.
Khedkar approached the Delhi High Court on Monday to contest the Union Public Service Commission’s decision to annul her candidature. The case was brought before a Bench led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and was deliberated on Wednesday.
On July 31, the UPSC announced via a press release that it had canceled Khedkar’s provisional candidature due to allegations of cheating and forgery. The commission found her in violation of regulations and subsequently barred her from all future examinations and selections.
During the hearing, Senior Advocate Indira Jaising, representing Khedkar, pointed out that despite the press release, Khedkar had not been formally served the cancellation order. “The issue here is that the cancellation order has not been given to me. I only have the press release,” Jaising remarked.
Jaising argued for the quashing of the press release, asserting on the need for the formal order to pursue further legal recourse. The UPSC assured the court that Khedkar would receive the official cancellation order within two days. The High Court granted Khedkar permission to approach the appropriate forum to contest the cancellation.
The UPSC had previously stated that Khedkar was granted until 3:30 pm on July 30, to respond to a show cause notice. This was presented as the final opportunity, with no further extensions available. The UPSC indicated that Khedkar failed to provide a response by the deadline, leading to the cancellation of her candidature and permanent debarment from future UPSC examinations.
Additionally, the Delhi Patiala House Court recently denied Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea, citing the severity of the allegations and the need for a comprehensive investigation.
