The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought a response from former probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar regarding a plea filed by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which seeks the initiation of perjury proceedings against her for allegedly submitting a false statement and affidavit in court. Justice Jyoti Singh issued a notice to Khedkar and granted her three weeks to file a reply to the UPSC's application.
The court listed the matter for further hearing on November 26. The UPSC argued that the cancellation of Puja Khedkar's candidature, communicated on July 31, was sent to her registered email ID on the same day. The commission stated that this was the same email ID used in her online application for the Civil Service Program (CSP) 2022.
The UPSC claimed that Puja Khedkar falsely stated in court that she had not received the cancellation order and only became aware of it through a press release issued by the commission. Senior advocate Naresh Kaushik, representing the UPSC, argued that Khedkar even provided false information to her lawyers and was fully aware that she was making a false statement under oath, yet deliberately affirmed its accuracy.
“Making false averments on oath with the view to obtain favourable orders from the court, being a very serious offence, undermines the very foundation of the legal system,” said the application filed by advocate Vardhman Kaushik. It claimed that Khedkar’s affidavit was of July 28, 2024 when the July 31 speaking order issued by the UPSC was not even in existence.
On July 31, the UPSC cancelled Khedkar's candidature and debarred her from future exams. She was accused of 'misrepresenting information' in her application for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, 2022. Khedkar was also accused of cheating and wrongly availing of OBC and disability quota benefits.