Connect with us
Monday,19-May-2025
Breaking News

Maharashtra

SC shields ex-IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar from arrest

Published

on

New Delhi, Jan 15: In an interim order passed on Wednesday, the Supreme Court directed that no coercive action be taken against sacked Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who allegedly submitted false OBC and PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) certificates and fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limits provided for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) by faking her identity.

Issuing notice on Puja Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea, a bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and S.C. Sharma asked the Delhi Police and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to file its reply in the matter by February 14.

In the meantime, Justice Nagarathna-led Bench granted protection to Puja Khedkar from arrest.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court had dismissed Khedkar’s pre-arrest bail petition and vacated its earlier order shielding her from arrest.

In its judgment delivered on December 15, 2024, a bench of Justice Chandra Dhari Singh opined that prima facie, a strong case was made out against Khedkar, adding that custodial interrogation of a person accused of an offence of such nature is required to unearth the facts.

Justice Singh-led Bench, on November 28, 2024, reserved its decision on her anticipatory bail plea after hearing both sides. It was then clarified that till the judgment is delivered, the interim relief granted earlier on August 12 shielding Khedkar from arrest will continue.

Before this, a court here had turned down her anticipatory bail plea and asked the investigating agency to find out if anyone from inside the UPSC had helped Khedkar. Widening the scope of the probe, Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala had asked Delhi Police to investigate if other people recommended by the UPSC have availed quota benefits without entitlement.

The Centre, on September 7, 2024, sacked Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) with immediate effect, a month after the UPSC cancelled her selection in government service.

Khedkar has been found guilty of faking and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits. After cancelling her selection, the UPSC also barred her for life from taking the entrance exam after finding her guilty of faking her identity to take the exam multiple times.

In a status report submitted to the Delhi High Court, the city Police had contended that former Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Khedkar had submitted two separate disability certificates for her UPSC exam. The disability certificates dated 2018 and 2021 citing ‘multiple disabilities’ were purportedly issued by the Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital for her UPSC attempts made in 2022 and 2023. However, as per Delhi Police’s status report, the hospital authorities had denied that the certificates claiming ‘multiple disabilities’ were issued to her by them.

It was found that Khedkar availed relaxed criteria for OBC candidates and persons with disabilities.

It then came to light that her father, a former Maharashtra government officer, had property to the tune of Rs 40 crore and that she did not qualify for the non-creamy layer OBC quota.

he UPSC had said that its Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) “could not detect her number of attempts primarily because she changed not only her name but also her parents’ names”.

Maharashtra

Two arrested, three dead in Dahisar bloody clash

Published

on

Mumbai: Three people died in a bloody clash in Mumbai’s Dahisar MSP Ganpat Patil Nagar. Due to an old enmity, a bloody clash took place between the Gupta and Sheikh families last night in which 4 people were seriously injured and three died. In this case, the police have claimed to have arrested two people on charges of murder. Last night at 4:30 pm, the Gupta family of the Sheikh family attacked them with a sharp knife at their coconut stall. Due to this attack, Ram Lal Gupta senior and Arvind Gupta succumbed to their injuries and died on the spot. This bloody incident created a sensation in the area while Haroon Sheikh of the Sheikh family also died. After this clash, a case of cross murder has been registered against both the families. In this case, two people from both the families were also injured. In this case, a minor from the Sheikh family has been arrested and presented in the children’s home.

DCP Anand Bhuite said that this matter was about an old grudge and there was a clash between the two families in 2022 and a case has also been registered in this matter. He said that a total of three people have died in this matter. The police have registered a case in this matter and further investigation is underway. He said that after the murder, additional arrangements have been deployed to maintain law and order in the area. He said that a member of the Gupta family has also been arrested and the police are investigating this matter. The DCP said that a member of the Sheikh family was also killed in 2022. Communal elements had started trying on social media to give this murder a Hindu-Muslim color, but the police have made it clear in the investigation that this is an outgrowth of an old grudge and there was no personal enmity in it. The DCP said that after this murder, there is definitely tension in the area, but law and order is maintained and the police have also increased patrols. In addition, arrangements have also been deployed.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Wanted accused in attempted murder of VB Nagar, Kurla, arrested from Jangal police station

Published

on

Mumbai: Mumbai’s Kurla Vinoba bhave Nagar police station has claimed to have arrested two criminal goons from a forest in a police station adjoining Mumbai. On May 13, at 11:30 pm, the complainant was returning home after giving money to a rickshaw puller when criminal goons Dutta Mangesh Patil called as Sheru and Mahesh Krishna Maharana called as Panda pushed and abused the complainant on the way. When his brother-in-law and father tried to end the dispute, Sheru slapped the brother-in-law and Panda attempted to murder the complainant’s father by attacking him. In this case, the police have registered a case under various sections including attempt to murder.

In this case, two teams were formed on the instructions of DCP Ganesh Gawde of Zone 5 and a search was started for the two absconding accused. The team was informed that the two accused were in the forest of the police station. Here, the police arrested the accused Dutta Mangesh Patil alias Sheru, 30, and Manish Sanatan Sahu called as Chintu, 24. Several cases have also been registered against these accused. This operation was carried out under the leadership of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Satyanarayan Chaudhary and DCP Ganesh Gawde. Senior Inspector Ravinder Sirsagar said that several cases have been registered against the accused. The police have arrested them after searching for the absconding accused. These two accused had also tried to create terror in the area.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Mumbai Police crackdown on drug peddler gang, arrests drug peddlers from Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, drugs worth over Rs 13 crore seized

Published

on

Mumbai: The Anti-Narcotics Cell and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ANTS) of the Mumbai RCF police station conducted a joint operation and arrested a drug peddler from RCF. During his search, the police recovered 45 grams of MD from his possession. The RCF police arrested him and registered a case under the NDPS Act against him. After that, the Mumbai police investigated and the drug peddlers were exposed. The police arrested five accused from Navi Mumbai and Mumbai and seized 6 kg of MD from their possession, the total value of which is said to be Rs 13.37 crore. This was a big drug racket that the police exposed and now the accused are being interrogated to find out how many more people they were in contact with and from where the drugs are brought to Mumbai. This operation was carried out on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Satyanarayan Chaudhary and DCP Nunath Dhole. Mumbai Police has intensified its operation against drug peddlers.

Continue Reading

Trending