After challenging the maintainability of former IAS trainee Puja Khedkar’s plea to quash the UPSC press release announcing her candidature cancellation, the Commission informed the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that it will deliver the order within two days through all possible modes.
Represented by Senior Advocate Naresh Kaushik, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) agreed to send the order to Khedkar’s last known address and email ID. This decision came after Senior Advocate Indira Jaising, representing Khedkar, highlighted to Justice Jyoti Singh that Khedkar had not been served the cancellation order and was only informed via a press release issued on July 31.
Jaising argued that Khedkar seeks a limited direction from the Delhi High Court to be provided with the order and to quash the press release, as the UPSC had no authority to issue it. She emphasized that Khedkar could challenge the cancellation before the appropriate forum, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), only after receiving a copy of the order.
The strange thing about this case is that the order canceling my candidature has not been served on me to date… They’ve admittedly not served the order on me. I’m seeking direction from this court that I be served a copy of the order so that I know which court to go to.
I face an FIR, and secondly, the DoPT (Department of Personnel and Training) is trying to issue a show-cause notice to me… Fortunately, DoPT has not taken any action against me; they’ve had the dignity to hold their hands… The problem is with the press release and the ex parte inquiry,” she added.
On Monday, Puja Khedkar moved the Delhi High Court, challenging the UPSC’s July 31 press release announcing the cancellation of her candidature in the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022. In her plea, Khedkar stated that the UPSC’s declaration to cancel her candidature and her from future exams was issued without following relevant rules, specifically Rule 19 of the Civil Services Examination Rules 2022, and without granting her an opportunity for a hearing. She also noted that she had not been provided with a copy of the UPSC order canceling her candidature.
