Delhi HC Grants Relief to Sacked Trainee IAS Pooja Khedkar

The Delhi High Court has granted significant relief to Pooja Khedkar, the dismissed trainee IAS officer, by placing an advance stay on her arrest. The court issued a notice to the Delhi Police and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) indicating that Pooja Khedkar should not be arrested pending the resolution of her anticipatory bail application. Khedkar approached the Delhi High Court due to concerns about arrest, after her anticipatory bail application was denied by the Patiala House Court.

Justice Subramaniam Prasad of the Delhi High Court has scheduled a detailed hearing on August 21. The judge criticized the district court for rejecting Khedkar’s bail application without substantial grounds and instructed the police not to arrest her until Friday. During the hearing, the UPSC argued that Khedkar was the mastermind behind the alleged forgery and that she likely required assistance from others who should also be detained and questioned. The Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangla of the district court had previously accepted this argument and denied Khedkar’s anticipatory bail.

Pooja Khedkar faces charges under various sections of the IPC, including 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery), 471 (using forged documents), and 120B (criminal conspiracy), as well as under section 66D of the IT Act and sections 89/91 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act. The UPSC has claimed that Khedkar’s alleged forgery was extensive and conducted over several years. The High Court reminded the UPSC of its obligation to uphold the highest standards of transparency and fairness to maintain candidate trust.