New Delhi: The Supreme Court has stayed the arrest of former IAS officer Pooja Khedkar till February 14. The Supreme Court heard Pooja Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea on Wednesday and overturned the Delhi High Court’s order of December 23.
Advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Pooja in the court, said, There are some comments in the High Court order, due to which if the trial starts, Pooja can be proven guilty. On this, a bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma issued a notice to UPSC and Delhi government. The court said that the next hearing of the case will be on February 14.
Pooja is accused of cheating in the UPSC exam and taking undue advantage of OBC and disability quota. After UPSC’s complaint, Delhi Police registered a case of fraud and forgery against Pooja Khedkar.
Pooja had filed an anticipatory bail plea to avoid arrest. Delhi’s Patiala House Court rejected Pooja’s anticipatory bail plea on August 1. After this, Pooja reached Delhi High Court, where on 23 December, Pooja’s bail plea was rejected.
UPSC withdrew the case of false testimony and said that it would file a separate case. UPSC has also accused Pooja of trying to manipulate the justice system and giving false testimony by giving a false affidavit.