Agencies
NEW DELHI: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) informed the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that it will communicate within two days its order cancelling former probationary Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar's candidature to her. Noting the submissions of UPSC, Justice Jyoti Singh disposed of Khedkar's plea challenging the Commission's press release stating that her candidature has been dismissed.
“The petition is disposed of granting liberty to the petitioner to approach the appropriate forum in accordance with law. It is made clear that this court has neither entered into nor expressed any opinion on the merits of the case and the filing of the present petition will not come in the way of the appropriate forum in adjudicating the issue on merits,” the court said. The court asked Khedkar to give her address to the UPSC, and said the order be supplied to her physically and electronically.
It also said that for other reliefs like challenge to the cancellation order, Khedkar will have to go to the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). During the hearing, senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Khedkar, said the cancellation order was never communicated to her and she came to know about it only through the press release. On being asked by the court as to why she has not approached CAT with her challenge, Khedkar's lawyer said since she was not served with the official order by UPSC, the plea was moved before the high court impugning the press release.
