The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to former IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar, accused of forging documents to illegally secure OBC and disability quota benefits in the 2022 UPSC Civil Services Examination.

A bench of Justice B V Nagarathna and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, while granting anticipatory bail to Puja Khedkar, observed, “What is the grave crime she has committed? She is not a drug lord or a terrorist. She has not committed Section 302 (murder). She is not an NDPS offender. She has not committed Section 376 offence (rape).”

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Granting relief, the court directed that in the event of arrest, Khedkar shall be released on bail upon furnishing a cash surety of Rs 35,000 with two additional sureties. The Bench also issued a set of conditions to safeguard the integrity of the investigation.

The bench said that Puja Khedkar shall not misuse her liberty and directed that she will cooperate in the ongoing probe and shall not tamper with evidence or influence witnesses.

“She shall extend complete cooperation in the ensuing investigation and shall not misuse her liberty. Should there be any violation of the aforesaid conditions, the liberty is reserved to the respondent (Delhi Police) to seek cancellation of anticipatory bail,” the order stated.

The Delhi High Court had earlier rejected Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea, describing her case as a “classic example of fraud, not only with a constitutional body but also with society and the nation as a whole.”

The High Court had further said that her custodial interrogation was necessary to expose the extent of conspiracy and examine the role of other individuals, pointing to her high-profile family background. Her father and mother were serving in high-ranking government positions, raising suspicion of possible collusion or misuse of influence.

Khedkar is accused of allegedly fraudulently availing reservation benefits meant for Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) in order to secure selection in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2022.

The Delhi Police had registered an FIR charging her under cheating and forgery provisions, alleging submission of false caste and disability certificates to benefit from reservation quotas.

In January 2025, the Supreme Court had granted Khedkar interim protection from arrest, pending the outcome of her anticipatory bail plea. She was directed to cooperate with the investigation, a condition which the Court reiterated during Wednesday’s final order.