HC seeks Puja Khedkar's response to UPSC's perjury claim in bail case

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the stand of Puja Khedkar on the UPSC's allegation that the former IAS probationer committed perjury by making a false statement in relation to her anticipatory bail plea. Justice Subramaniam Prasad asked Khedkar to file her reply to the Commission's application, which is filed in the proceedings on her pre-arrest bail plea. "I will issue notice. File your reply," Justice Prasad told Khedkar's counsel, and listed the matter for hearing on September 26. Khedkar has been accused of cheating and wrongly availing Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability quota benefits in civil services examination. She has denied all allegations against her. In its application filed through lawyer Vardhman Kaushik, the UPSC submitted that Khedkar, in her rejoinder, made an "absolutely false" statement on affidavit that the Commission had collected her biometrics during personality tests. Seeking initiation of inquiry and appropriate proceedings against her f