New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice to former probationary Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar and sought her response on a plea filed by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) seeking initiation of perjury proceedings against her for allegedly giving false affidavit and statement in court.
Justice Jyoti Singh granted Khedkar three weeks to file her reply on the application of the UPSC and listed the matter for further hearing on November 26.
Making false averments on oath with the view to obtain favourable orders from the court is a very serious offence: UPSC
Submitting that making false averments on oath with the view to obtain favourable orders from the court is a very serious offence and undermines the very foundation of the legal system, the UPSC has urged the court to initiate appropriate proceedings and direct an inquiry against the former probationary officer in accordance with law for committing the offence of perjury.
The UPSC contended that the July 31 communication by which Khedkar’s candidature was cancelled was communicated to her on the same day on her registered email id, which was registered in her online application for the Civil Service Program (CSP) 2022, however, she made a false statement before the court that she was not served with the order and that she came to know about it through the press release issued by the UPSC. It further submitted that Khedkar even gave false information to her advocates knowing it very well that she she was making a false statement on oath and yet she deliberately swore to the correctness of the false statement, news agency PTI reported.
Khedkar earlier challenged UPSC’s July 31 press release cancelling her candidature before the High Court
Khedkar had earlier moved the High Court challenging the press release of the UPSC cancelling her candidature, claiming that the UPSC did not communicate the said order to her and she she came to know about the same only through the press release.
The High Court disposed of Khedkar’s plea challenging the press release of the UPSC cancelling her candidature taking note of the submission of the UPSC that it will communicate to her within two days its order cancelling her candidature.
Khedkar is accused of cheating, wrongly availing quota benefits
Khedkar is accused cheating and wrongly availing Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability quota benefits. The Delhi Police has registered a case against her on a complaint by the UPSC and she has got an interim protection from arrest in the case by the High Court till September 26. The UPSC cancelled her candidature on July 31 and debarred her from future exams.
