MPSC exam paper leak: Three officials among six arrested by Mumbai Crime Branch

Police on Wednesday arrested six persons including three Maharashtra Public Service Commission MPSC officials in connection with the alleged question paper leak of the 2026 Drug Inspector GroupB screening examination which has now been cancelledAs reported by PTI the accused one of them an under secretary of the commission were arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch officials saidThe MPSC cancelled the recruitment process for Drug Inspector GroupB posts under the Food and Drug Administration FDA following a preliminary inquiry into alleged malpractice in the screening examination conducted earlier this yearFresh examinations to be conductedThe commission on Tuesday decided to conduct a fresh examination for the posts saying the step was necessary for ensuring that all candidates get a fair and equal opportunity and for maintaining the confidence of candidates in the recruitment process by safeguarding the integrity transparency and impartiality of its examinationsAs per PTI cancellation of the process means that even candidates who had cleared the screening examination and subsequently appeared for interviews will have to take the fresh examination Of the total 485 candidates were eligible for appointment to the postsMumbai Crime Branch made several arrestsIn a parallel development the Mumbai Crime Branch probing the alleged question paper leak has also made some quick arrestsThe arrested accused were identified as MPSCs Assistant Section Officers Vishweshwar Dattatraya Nakate and Gopal Bhattu Marathe and the commissions undersecretary Abhijit Ganpatrao Lendwe director of Kautilya The officials while briefing about the operation said ldquoAcademy in Nandurbar Pravin Dilip Patil and two alleged coconspirators Amrut Namdeo Patil and Lokesh alias Gaurav Rajendra Patilrdquo as cited by PTIThe accused allegedly accessed the questions ahead of the test compiled them into a separate set and distributed it to unauthorised persons they saidThe case pertains to the offline screening test conducted on March 22 for the posts of Drug Inspector GroupB under the FDASuspects breached the confidential processPolice said experts had set the question papers under strict confidentiality protocols However the suspects allegedly breached the confidential process obtained the questions prior to the examination compiled a duplicate set and circulated it among unauthorised individuals as per PTIThe preliminary investigations further confirmed a breach in the confidentiality surrounding the MPSC examination process Following a complaint filed by Mangesh Desai police inspector attached to the Property Cell of the Crime Branch an FIR was registered on TuesdayHowever the case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at Competitive Examinations Act and the Prevention of Corruption Act dealing with offences including cheating criminal breach of trust criminal conspiracy and corruption by public servantsAccused produced before the courtAll accused were produced before a Mumbai sessions court which remanded them in police custody until September 2 the officials addedThe MPSC earlier received complaints regarding alleged irregularities in the screening examinationThe complaints claimed some candidates had received the question paper or questions before the examination and that the material was subsequently circulated through social media and other electronic platforms the commission said in its statementWith inputs from PTI