The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended till April 21 the interim protection from arrest granted to former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, who is facing allegations of cheating and fraudulently availing OBC and disability quota benefits in the 2022 UPSC civil services examination.

A bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma took note of submissions made by Khedkar’s counsel, who informed the court that a rejoinder to the Delhi government’s reply had been filed but was yet to be placed on record. The bench directed the Supreme Court registry to verify the status of the rejoinder and listed the matter for further hearing on April 21.

Meanwhile, the court accepted the request of Khedkar’s counsel to continue the protection from arrest, initially granted on January 15, until the next date of hearing.

During an earlier hearing on March 18, the court had orally observed that Khedkar could not simultaneously claim separate attempts to clear the exam as both an "able candidate" and a "disabled candidate."

Representing the Delhi government, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju submitted that custodial interrogation was necessary to uncover the role of middlemen allegedly involved in procuring fake disability certificates for UPSC aspirants. In response, advocate Bina Madhavan, appearing for Khedkar, said her client had conveyed her willingness to cooperate with the investigation and had informed the probe agency accordingly.

Khedkar was granted interim relief on August 12, 2024, when the Delhi High Court issued notice on her anticipatory bail plea. However, the high court later dismissed the plea, making strong observations against her and noting that there was a strong prima facie case. It also emphasized the need to investigate the alleged larger conspiracy to manipulate the selection process, cautioning that granting bail could hinder the probe.

Khedkar has denied all allegations against her. Her counsel previously argued that the high court’s remarks were harsh and prejudiced her case.

In addition to the FIR lodged by the Delhi Police for multiple offences, the UPSC has initiated disciplinary proceedings and filed a criminal case against Khedkar, accusing her of misrepresenting facts and availing multiple attempts in the exam under different identities.