The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked why the Delhi Police were not able to complete the investigation into the case involving former Indian Administrative Service probationer Puja Khedkar when she herself has said on affidavit that she was willing to cooperate, Live Law reported.

A bench of Justices B Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma made the remarks while hearing an anticipatory bail petition filed by Khedkar in the matter. It also extended her interim protection from arrest.

Khedkar has been accused of fraudulently clearing the Union Public Service Commission examination.

On January 15, the bench granted Khedkar protection from arrest while issuing notice on her anticipatory bail petition. It had also sought responses from the Delhi Police and the Union Public Service Commission, which cancelled her candidature in July.

On February 14, the court extended her protection from arrest till March 17.

At the hearing on Tuesday, the Delhi Police, represented by Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, said that custodial interrogation was needed to be granted in the case to investigate a “larger scam” of fake documents submitted by civil service aspirants, Live Law reported.

In response, Sharma asked what difference her custody would make in allowing the police to carry out their investigation.

Raju told the court that Khedkar forged documents allowing her to give more attempts than what she would have been allowed. A custodial interrogation was necessary to unveil the names of the middlemen involved, he added

“We have found that this is a scam which may involve persons who are involved in giving certificates, etc.,” the additional solicitor general told the court. “We want to investigate whether hers is an isolated case or there is a larger number of cases.”

In response, Sharma said: “If larger number of cases, you can investigate. She is not the kingpin who is issuing certificates.”

Nagarathna also noted that the source from where Khedkar availed the allegedly forged certificates needed to be investigated, according to Live Law. However, this did not require her to be necessarily kept in custody, he added.

Khedkar’s counsel denied allegations of forgery, and said that she was diagnosed with a low-vision disability in 2018. She had attempted the examination thrice since then, the counsel said, adding that her attempt as a disabled candidate under the category had not been exhausted.

"Since 2012, I had been attempting the UPSC [Union Public Service Commission] examination and in 2018, for the first time, I was found to be eligible for 40% disability which entitles me to nine attempts,” the counsel said.

The matter has been listed for hearing on April 15.

The controversy around Khedkar’s selection erupted after Pune-based Right to Information activist Vijay Kumbhar alleged that she had become a civil services officer by availing benefits under the Other Backward Classes quota, which she was not eligible for.

The Delhi Police, in its first information report against the former trainee officer, said that she had defrauded the Union Public Service Commission and the public at large.

The High Court then vacated the protection from arrest that it had granted in August.

The Union government discharged Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service on September 6.