The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned the Delhi Police's insistence on custodial interrogation of former IAS trainee Puja Khedkar, who has been accused of fraudulently clearing the civil services examination. The bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and S C Sharma stressed that a candidate “cannot avail of separate attempts to clear the test as an 'able candidate' and a 'disabled candidate and directed the police to complete the investigation "steadfastly."

Currently, Khedkar remains protected from arrest, with the next hearing set for April 15. The Delhi Police, represented by Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, argued that her custody was essential to uncover a larger scam involving fake certificates and middlemen. The police believe she exceeded her nine permitted attempts by manipulating documents and changing names.

The court, however, cast doubt on the necessity of custody. Justice S C Sharma noted that while the investigation should continue, Khedkar is not the key figure issuing fraudulent certificates. Justice B V Nagarathna agreed, urging a steadfast probe into the scam’s origins. The case highlights concerns over systemic loopholes in UPSC’s examination process and the misuse of reservation policies.