Maharashtra
SC shields ex-IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar from arrest

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
Maharashtra Marathi Hindi Controversy: Strict action will be taken against those who take law into their hands: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has made it clear on the Hindi-Marathi language dispute that linguistic discrimination and violence cannot be tolerated. If anyone instigates violence in the name of Marathi language or takes the law into his own hands, strict action will be taken against him because it is the government’s responsibility to maintain law and order. He said that in the Mira Road Hindi Marathi violence case, the police have registered a case and taken action.
A committee has been formed in the matter of Marathi and Hindi language. Whatever is better for the students on its recommendation, the government will implement it. No decision has been taken under anyone’s pressure. He said that the recommendation for Hindi language was made during the Maha Vikas Aghadi rule itself, but now these same people are opposing it. The public knows everything.
He said that in this election, BJP has got 51 percent Marathi votes. Violence and discrimination in the name of language cannot be tolerated. Marathi is a source of pride for us, but we do not oppose Hindi. What will happen if a Marathi businessman in another state is asked to speak his language? In Assam, he was asked to speak Assamese. He said that strict action will be taken against those who break the law.
Maharashtra
Case registered for burning copy of Hindi Marathi dispute order

Mumbai: Mumbai Police has registered a case against 200 to 300 activists including Deepak Pawar, Santosh Shinde, Santosh Kharat, Shashi Pawar, Yoginder Salulkar, Santosh Veer for protesting without permission, violating prohibitory orders and Police Act in the case of burning copy of order making Hindi language compulsory. The accused have been booked under Section 189(2), 190,223, Maharashtra Police Act at Azad Maidan Police Station. The case has been registered on the complaint of complainant Santosh Suraj Dhundiram Khot, 32 years.
According to the details, on June 29, between 2 and 3:30 pm, a copy of the government order against making Hindi i.e. third language compulsory in primary education was burnt without permission on BMC Road adjacent to Marathi Patkar Singh and the government order was violated. The accused had not taken any permission for this demonstration and had violated the prohibitory orders, following which a case has been registered against them, confirmed Mumbai Police. The case has been registered after recording the statement of the complainant.
Maharashtra
Opposition protests against the government for declaring Wari as urban Naxal

Mumbai: On the fourth day in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, the opposition created a ruckus over declaring Wari as urban Naxal and has made serious allegations against the government of insulting Wari. On the fourth day of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, the opposition has made several serious allegations against the ministers of the government while protesting on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan. The ministers included in the cabinet of the state government are misusing their powers and occupying government lands in the state.
Just as the ruling front is trying to defame the holy pilgrimage of Hinduism, Wari, by calling Vitthurai and Warkars urban Naxalites and urban Maoists, in the same way it is insulting Wari Palkhi. This is reprehensible. Members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi staged a strong protest on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan against the ruling front and accused the government of insulting Wari. In this demonstration, the members also raised slogans cursing the government and said that due to the scamster government, farmers are dying of hunger and the ministers are calling the laborers urban Naxalites. Shiv Sena leader of opposition Ambadas Danve, Vijay Varditwar, Sachin Ahir, Jitendra Ahawat etc. participated in this protest.
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