Within the next two days, the UPSC will serve the candidature cancelling order to controversial former probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar through all modes, the commission told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday.
The statement was made by senior advocate Naresh Kaushik appearing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) before Justice Jyoti Singh of the Delhi HC.
The court was hearing the plea filed by Khedkar who challenged the cancellation of her candidature by the UPSC. Her advocate Indira Jaisingh said the unusual aspect of the case is that the UPSC order cancelling Khedkar’s candidature has not been provided to her till date.
She further claimed that Khedkar got to know about the cancellation of her candidature through media and the press release.
“All I have is the press release. They have to supply me the order so that I can approach the appropriate tribunal,” Jaising said.
‘Khedkar can challenge cancellation in any forum’
The high court then granted liberty to Khedkar to approach any appropriate forum to challenge the cancellation of her candidature by the UPSC.
The high court then said, “The order is to be communicated at her last known address. The petitioner has been disposed with liberty to approach the appropriate forum,” the court said.
On July 31, the UPSC through a press statement stated that Khedkar’s “provisional candidature for the civil services exam-2022 (CSE-2022) has been cancelled and she has also been debarred permanently from all the future Examinations/Selections of the UPSC.”
The decision was taken by the commission after it was found guilty of acting in contravention of the provisions of the CSE-2022 Rules.
The court also said that Khedkar will give her address to the UPSC and the order should be supplied to her both by physical mode and electronically.
Advocate Kaushik then agreed to send the order to Khedkar through all modes, including at her last known address that she has been asked to provide and also on her email ID.
Before disposing of the plea, the Delhi High Court asked Khedkar to approach the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) for other reliefs like challenge to the cancellation order.
Recently, Patiala House Court in Delhi dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Khedkar, and said the allegations against her are “grave and serious” which requires thorough investigation.
Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, is accused of misusing her powers as a civil servant after she allegedly demanded a separate office, a car and a house for herself before joining as Assistant Collector in Pune. She was transferred from Pune to Washim over her inappropriate demands and indiscipline.
There have also been allegations that Khedkar availed Other Backward Class (OBC) benefits as well as disability concessions to secure her position in the IAS.
A one-member committee has been formed by the Central government to probe Khedkar’s conduct and selection process.
With inputs from agencies
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Link to article –
Puja Khedkar case: UPSC to issue ex-IAS trainee candidature cancellation order in 2 days
