MPSC cancels Drug Inspector recruitment after alleged question paper leak; six arrested

Mumbai: The investigation into the alleged paper leak in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) Drug Inspector, Group-B examination has revealed an alleged chain involving a confidential set of 294 questions, which was prepared before the examination and subsequently reached a candidate through MPSC officials and other intermediaries.Six accused arrested in alleged paper leak caseThe Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested six people, including three MPSC officials, in connection with the case. The arrested accused have been identified as MPSC Under Secretary Abhijit Ganpatrao Lendwe, Assistant Room (Kaksh) Officer Vishweshwar Dattatray Nakate, MPSC official Gopal Bhattu Marathe, Kaustilya Academy director from Nandurbar Pravin Dilip Patil, Amrut Namdeo Patil, and Lokesh alias Gaurav Rajendra Patil.According to police sources, MPSC official Vishweshwar Nakate was entrusted with the confidential ‘superset’ of questions prepared by experts for the Drug Inspector examination. Police allege that Nakate typed 294 questions on his laptop, prepared a separate set and returned the original confidential superset to its place. He then took a printout of the 294 questions and allegedly handed it over to Under Secretary Abhijit Lendwe in the MPSC office parking lot.Question set allegedly passed through multiple intermediariesLendwe allegedly passed the set to MPSC official Gopal Marathe. According to the investigation, Marathe was in contact with Pravin Patil, who runs a coaching institute in Nandurbar, and allegedly handed over the question set to him. Police allege that Pravin Patil subsequently gave the set to Amrut Patil, father of candidate Rutuja Patil. According to the police, Amrut Patil paid Pravin Patil Rs 5 lakh for the question set. Investigators have also found that Mayur Thakare allegedly played a role in connecting Amrut Patil with Pravin Patil.The question set subsequently reached Rutuja Patil, who allegedly shared it with her then-boyfriend Gaurav Patil over WhatsApp. Police investigation has revealed that several questions from the confidential set of 294 questions appeared in the actual examination. All 100 questions in the Drug Inspector examination were allegedly selected from this 294-question superset.Candidate allegedly received questions two days before examAccording to the investigation, Rutuja allegedly received the question set on March 20, two days before the examination held on March 22. Police allege that she and her father were advised not to attempt all 100 questions correctly, as doing so could raise suspicion. Rutuja allegedly attempted 91 questions and correctly answered 77 of them.Police said Rutuja had only two days to prepare the 294 questions. Investigators have reportedly found that she received the questions in Nashik and studied them there before appearing for the examination.Break-up allegedly exposed the paper leak : An important aspect of the case is the role of Gaurav Patil, who is among the six arrested accused. Initially, it was Gaurav who allegedly emailed the MPSC informing it about the suspected paper leak. According to police, Gaurav and Rutuja were in a relationship. Their relationship reportedly deteriorated after Rutuja’s father allegedly refused to approve their marriage. After Rutuja cleared the examination and the relationship subsequently turned sour, Gaurav allegedly complained to the MPSC about the paper leak.Police allege that Gaurav, despite being the person who reported the leak, was himself a beneficiary of the leaked questions. The investigation has also revealed that Gaurav’s brother appeared for the Drug Inspector examination but did not clear it. Gaurav has reportedly claimed that due to alleged sibling rivalry, he did not share the question set received from Rutuja with his brother. Police are now verifying whether Gaurav actually shared the leaked questions with his brother and, if so, why his brother failed to qualify despite allegedly having access to the leaked material.Police suspect questions were sold to other candidates : Investigators also suspect that Pravin Patil may not have given the 294-question superset only to Rutuja’s father, but may have sold the questions to other candidates who appeared for the examination. The Crime Branch is investigating how many candidates received the 294-question set and how much money was allegedly collected in exchange for it.Rutuja Patil’s role is also being investigated. The Crime Branch has issued her a notice, while police are searching for Mayur Thakare, who allegedly facilitated contact between Amrut Patil and Pravin Patil.Examination cancelled after paper leak allegations : The Drug Inspector recruitment examination was conducted after a gap of nearly 11 years. Following an advertisement issued in 2025, the screening examination for 154 Group-B posts was conducted on March 22, 2026, at the headquarters of six revenue divisions across Maharashtra. Around 44,500 candidates had applied for the examination. The results were declared on June 12, following which 506 candidates were declared eligible for interviews, while a provisional merit list of 488 candidates was released.Following complaints regarding the alleged paper leak and a preliminary investigation, the MPSC on August 26 decided to cancel the Drug Inspector recruitment process. The commission will conduct the examination afresh, meaning thousands of candidates who appeared for the March 22 examination will have to take the examination again.The case has raised serious questions over the MPSC’s examination system and the security of confidential question papers. The Crime Branch is now investigating who was involved in preparing and circulating the 294-question superset, whether the questions were sold to other candidates and how many people ultimately benefited from the alleged leak.WhatsApp Chat Allegedly Reveals Details of Drug Inspector Exam Paper : A WhatsApp conversation between Rutuja Patil and Gaurav Patil, dated March 20 and 22, 2026, allegedly contains details suggesting that Patil had access to a set of questions before the Drug Inspector examination.In the conversation on March 22, Patil claimed that 78 questions from a question set she had received appeared in the examination. She said she had confirmed and solved those questions and had answered 13 additional questions, taking her total to 91 attempted questions. She further stated that she was confident about 77 to 78 answers and discussed calculating the marks by dividing the number by two.The chat also contains a reference to her having submitted her mobile phone and speaking to a person outside the examination gate. Another participant advised her to check the question paper, if available, and verify how many answers were correct.Maharashtra BSc Nursing CAP 2026 Schedule Released; Registrations Open Till September 2In another conversation dated March 20, Patil allegedly discussed the question set and said that questions would come from it. She also mentioned that, apart from the questions in the set, she would have to deliberately leave 10 other questions unanswered.The conversation further refers to instructions allegedly given by her father to avoid discussing the matter with Mayur Thakre or even family members. He reportedly expressed concern about the uncertainty surrounding the recruitment process, including the possibility of a stay, a higher cut-off or the interview not being conducted.The chat also mentions a demand for ₹5 lakh allegedly made by a person referred to as “Kautilya”. Patil reportedly asked for the money to be arranged by the following day, while stating that her father was already under financial stress.The authenticity and context of the WhatsApp conversation, as well as the allegations regarding prior access to examination questions, would need to be independently verified by the investigating authorities.To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/

The MPSC had cancelled the recruitment process for Drug Inspector, Group-B posts in the Food and Drug Administration on August 26 after a preliminary inquiry into irregularities in the screening test held on March 22, 2026

Six individuals, including three MPSC officials, were arrested for the Drug Inspector exam paper leak. The recruitment process for these posts was subsequently cancelled by the commission. A fresh examination will now be conducted for all eligible candidates. The alleged leak involved accessing and circulating questions before the examination. This incident has drawn criticism from political opposition parties.

Mumbai: A love affair has emerged as a key angle in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) Drug Inspector examination paper leak case, in which six people, including three MPSC officials, have been arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch.The arrested accused have been identified as Vishweshwar Dattatray Nakate (35) – Assistant Section Officer, MPSC, Abhijit Ganpatrao Lendwe (38) – Under Secretary, MPSC, Gopal Bhatu/Bhatt Marathe (37) – Assistant Section Officer, MPSC, Pravin Dilip Patil (40) – Director, Kautilya Academy, Nandurbar, Amrit Namdev Patil (55) and Lokesh alias Gaurav Rajendra Patil (24). According to police, Amrit Patil is Rutuja Patil's father.The Drug Inspector, Group-B examination under the Food and Drug Administration cadre was conducted by the MPSC on March 22. The results were declared in July, but the examination was subsequently cancelled after the question paper leak came to light.According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Rajtilak Roshan, the investigation revealed that questions prepared by experts for the examination were illegally obtained before the test and used to create a separate question paper, which was subsequently shared with other individuals. This resulted in a breach of confidentiality in the MPSC examination process.Mumbai Crime Branch arrested 6 accused in MPSC drug inspector exam paper leak case!A case was registered by Crime Branch under the Maharashtra Competitive Examination (Prevention of Malpractices) Act, 2024, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 in connection with the…— मुंबई पोलीस Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) August 26, 2026 Love affair angle emergesAccording to a Crime Branch officer, accused Lokesh alias Gaurav Rajendra Patil was in a relationship with a woman identified as Rutuja Patil. Investigators suspect that Gaurav obtained the examination paper to help Rutuja clear the Drug Inspector examination and allegedly provided it to her and some other candidates. Rutuja subsequently cleared the examination. However, the relationship between Gaurav and Rutuja later ended.Police suspect that following the breakup, Gaurav, allegedly angered by the turn of events, informed the MPSC about the paper leak. The MPSC subsequently approached the Mumbai Police, following which the investigation was handed over to the Crime Branch.Rutuja has been served a notice by the Crime Branch in connection with the investigation.Three MPSC officials arrestedDuring the investigation conducted under the supervision of DCP Rajtilak Roshan, the Crime Branch arrested six accused on August 26.An FIR was registered on August 25, 2026, on the complaint of Mangesh Ganpatrao Desai, in-charge Police Inspector attached to the Property Cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch. The FIR was registered at Cuffe Parade Police Station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 112, 316(4), 316(5), 318(4), 238(b), 317(2), 303(2), 61(2) and 3(5), along with relevant provisions of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and Other Specified Examinations Act, 2024, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.Police said the investigation established that confidential examination material prepared by experts was illegally accessed before the examination and circulated to other persons, compromising the integrity and secrecy of the MPSC examination process.The six accused were arrested on August 26 and produced before the Sessions Court. The court remanded all six accused to Crime Branch custody until September 2. The Crime Branch is now investigating the entire chain through which the confidential question material was accessed, prepared into another question set and circulated. Assistant Commissioner of Police Sadanand Rane, D-Central Division, Mumbai Crime Branch, is conducting further investigation into the case.Details mentioned in FIRThe investigation into the alleged leak of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) Drug Inspector examination paper has revealed a chain of events involving MPSC officials, an academy director and candidates. According to the complaint filed by Mangesh Ganpatrao Desai, an Inspector attached to the Property Cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch, confidential questions prepared by experts for the examination were allegedly stolen and circulated before the test.Desai, 45, has been serving as the in-charge Police Inspector of the Property Cell, Mumbai Crime Branch, since 2024. On July 27, 2026, his office received a complaint submitted by MPSC Under Secretary R.P. Otari regarding allegations of a question paper leak in the Drug Inspector examination. Desai was appointed as the inquiry officer.Maswan Ashram School Student Death: Mass Health Screening Held, SIT Formed To Probe CaseAlleged chain of paper circulationThe MPSC had issued an advertisement on July 29, 2025, for recruitment to 154 posts of Drug Inspector, Group-B, under the Food and Drug Administration department. The screening examination was conducted on March 22, 2026, from 11 am to noon at six examination centres across Maharashtra. The list of candidates eligible for interviews was published on June 12. Interviews were subsequently conducted between July 1 and July 22, following which the Commission released a provisional merit list around 6 pm on July 22.However, the MPSC later received allegations that a probable question paper had reached certain candidates before the examination and that some candidates had benefited from it. During the inquiry, police examined the available documents, examination records, WhatsApp chats, digital evidence and statements of the persons concerned.The investigation allegedly revealed that MPSC Assistant Section Officer Vishweshwar Dattatray Nakate, who was working as the coordinating officer for the Drug Inspector screening examination, had allegedly stolen 294 questions prepared by experts for the examination and compiled them into a separate question set.According to the complaint, Nakate allegedly handed over the question set to MPSC Under Secretary Abhijit Lendwe in the parking area of the Commission's office before the examination. Lendwe allegedly subsequently handed the question set to MPSC Assistant Section Officer Gopal Marathe, who allegedly passed it on to Pravin Patil, director of Kautilya Academy, in the premises of the Commission's office before the examination.The investigation further revealed that Pravin Patil allegedly provided a photocopy of the question set to Amrit Patil at his flat at Pathardi Phata in Nashik. The exchange was allegedly facilitated through their acquaintance Mayur Thakare.3 Minor Girls Traced To Karjat Within 6 Hours By Cuffe Parade PoliceAmrit Patil's daughter Rutuja Patil, who allegedly received the question set, subsequently sent it to Lokesh alias Gaurav Patil through WhatsApp.Police also examined WhatsApp conversations between Gaurav Patil and Rutuja Patil, along with photocopies of the question set and other documents submitted to the MPSC.According to the inquiry, Rutuja Patil was placed seventh in the provisional merit list for the Drug Inspector examination. The investigation also allegedly found that Abhijit Lendwe and Gopal Marathe received a financial benefit of Rs 5 lakh in connection with the alleged illegal circulation of the examination material.Investigation continuesAccording to the complaint, the evidence collected during the inquiry indicated that between July 29, 2025, and July 27, 2026, Nakate, Lendwe and Marathe allegedly acted in collusion with Pravin Patil and others to illegally obtain and circulate questions prepared by MPSC experts.The complaint alleges that the accused misused their official positions, breached the confidentiality of the examination process, interfered with the fairness of the recruitment examination and facilitated the unauthorised exchange of confidential examination material for financial gain.Also Watch:The investigation also alleges that the accused committed criminal breach of trust and either directly or indirectly assisted in the alleged malpractice.Following the inquiry, Police Inspector Mangesh Desai filed a formal complaint on August 25, 2026. An FIR was registered at Colaba Police Station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 112, 316(4), 316(5), 318(4), 238(b), 317(2), 303(2), 61(2) and 3(5).The accused have also been booked under relevant provisions of the Maharashtra Competitive Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018. The Mumbai Crime Branch is continuing its investigation into the alleged paper leak and the financial and communication links between the accused.To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/

Mumbai: The Mumbai Crime Branch on Wednesday arrested six people in connection with the alleged Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) paper leak case involving the Drug Inspector examination.According to reports, three of those arrested are reportedly MPSC officials. Following their arrest, all six accused were produced before a court, which remanded them to police custody until September 2.The Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested six accused in connection with the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) paper leak case, involving the Drug Inspector examination. Among the arrested, three are reportedly MPSC officials. All six were produced in court and remanded to… pic.twitter.com/15HZ4efkJH— IANS (@ians_india) August 26, 2026 MPSC cancels recruitment processThe arrests came hours after the MPSC decided to cancel the recruitment process for the post of Drug Inspector, Group-B, in the Food and Drug Administration Department.The decision was taken following a preliminary inquiry initiated after the Commission received complaints alleging malpractice in the screening examination held on March 22.According to reports, the Commission had issued an advertisement for the Drug Inspector post on July 29, 2025, following which the screening examination was conducted offline on March 22 at six divisional headquarters across Maharashtra. The results were declared on June 12.The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has decided to cancel the recruitment process conducted for the post of Drug Inspector, Group-B in the Food and Drug Administration Department. This decision was taken in the background of a preliminary inquiry conducted after… pic.twitter.com/DLQiHeytGE— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2026 Over 500 candidates shortlistedFollowing the screening examination, around 506 candidates were found eligible for interviews. Of these, interviews of 488 candidates were conducted between July 1 and 22.After the interviews concluded on July 22, the Commission published a provisional general merit list comprising 488 candidates, including 485 eligible and three ineligible candidates, on its official website.MPSC Scraps Drug Inspector Recruitment After Probe Flags Pre-Exam Question Leak, Orders Fresh Re-TestCandidates allege advance paper accessHowever, between July 22 and 26, the Commission reportedly received complaints from several candidates via email alleging that some candidates appearing for the March 22 screening examination had received the question paper or questions in advance on March 20. The complaints further alleged that the questions were circulated through social media and other electronic platforms.Considering the seriousness of the allegations, the Commission lodged a complaint with the Mumbai Police Commissioner on July 27, requesting an investigation into the matter.Crime Branch probe underwayThe Mumbai Crime Branch subsequently took up the investigation, which has now resulted in the arrest of six accused, including three reportedly linked to the MPSC. The investigation into the alleged paper leak is ongoing, further details are awaited. To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has decided to cancel the recruitment process conducted for the post of Drug Inspector, Group-B in the Food and Drug Administration Department, an official said.The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has decided to cancel the recruitment process conducted for the post of Drug Inspector, Group-B in the Food and Drug Administration Department. This decision was taken in the background of a preliminary inquiry conducted after… pic.twitter.com/DLQiHeytGE— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2026 This decision was taken in the background of a preliminary inquiry conducted after complaints were received regarding alleged malpractice in the screening examination held on March 22.After the Commision has published an advertisement for the post of Drug Inspector on July 29, 2025, the screening examination was conducted offline on March 22 at six divisional headquarters in the state. The result of this examination was declared on June 12. After the screening examination, 506 candidates were found eligible for the interview. Out of them, interviews of 488 candidates were conducted from July 1 to 22.The Commission received complaints via e-mail from some candidates as well as public representatives regarding malpractice in the screening examination held on March 22. The complaints claimed that before the commencement of the examination, on March 20, some candidates had…— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2026 #WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: On Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) cancels Drug Inspector recruitment after paper leak, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande says, "Basically, PM Modi has been saying for the last month that they are very serious about the paper leak issue, and… pic.twitter.com/rUsQHk4PZg— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2026 After the completion of interviews on July 22, a provisional general merit list of a total of 488 candidates, including 485 eligible and three ineligible for the post of Drug Inspector, was published on the Commission's website.Meanwhile, between July 22 and 26, the Commission received complaints via e-mail from some candidates as well as public representatives regarding malpractice in the screening examination held on March 22. The complaints claimed that before the commencement of the examination, on March 20, some candidates had received the question paper or questions, and they were circulated through social media or electronic media.Considering the seriousness of these complaints and the sensitivity of the matter, the Commission filed a complaint with the Mumbai Police Commissioner on July 27 for investigation. After that, the Crime Branch conducted a preliminary inquiry and submitted a report to the Commission. According to this report, it has been concluded that, prima facie, it appears that one candidate received the question set and benefited from it.पुन्हा एकदा महाराष्ट्रात पेपरफुटी!MPSC च्या Drug Inspector भरती परीक्षेची प्रश्नपत्रिका परीक्षा होण्यापूर्वीच WhatsApp वर फिरल्याचे दावे, गुणांतील कथित गैरव्यवहार आणि अधिकृत तक्रारींसह पुरावे समोर आले... तरीही सरकार आणि यंत्रणा शांत?लाखो विद्यार्थ्यांच्या भविष्याशी खेळ… pic.twitter.com/GAVrdIgPP2— Harshwardhan Sapkal (@INCHarshsapkal) July 27, 2026 The Commission has clarified that the decision to cancel the recruitment process has been taken with a view to maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, transparency and impartiality of the examination conducted by the Commission and to keep the candidates' trust in the Commission intact, an official said.Meanwhile, a re-examination will be conducted for these posts and the concerned candidates will not need to apply again. Also, no fee will be charged for the re-examination. The date of the re-examination and other details will be announced through a separate press release.The cancellation of this examination comes in the wake of heightened scrutiny over public examinations across the country, with massive protests happening over the NEET-UG paper leak and JPSC-JSSC in since few months.(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)