Mumbai Crime Branch Probes Rs 50 Lakh Deal in MPSC Drug Inspector Paper Leak
The Mumbai Crime Branch has expanded its probe into the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) Drug Inspector exam paper leak after uncovering WhatsApp chats detailing an alleged Rs 50 lakh payment for advance access to the question paper. Six people, including three MPSC officials, have been arrested, while candidate Rutuja Patil remains absconding.
According to investigators, chat transcripts show Rutuja telling a friend that she received the March 22 examination paper in advance and paid Rs 50 lakh for it. When asked how she cleared the difficult test without studying, Rutuja allegedly claimed she had obtained the paper beforehand and repeatedly warned her friend not to share the information with colleagues.
Crime Branch officials stated that the leaked material contained 294 questions, with 77 matching questions in the actual MPSC Drug Inspector examination paper. Investigators also found messages instructing Rutuja to deliberately answer 10 questions incorrectly to ensure her high score did not raise suspicion. She subsequently cleared the test.
The case came to light following a personal fallout between Rutuja and her boyfriend, Lokesh alias Gaurav Rajendra Patil. Police suspect Gaurav obtained questions from the examination set to assist her. Rutuja had allegedly asked Gaurav to arrange Rs 5 lakh for officials, but he refused due to financial constraints, after which her father, Amrit Patil, arranged the money. Following a bitter breakup, Gaurav approached the MPSC and reported the suspected leak, triggering the police probe.
DCP (Crime) Raj Tilak Roshan said the inquiry showed that the question set was prepared by experts before being illegally accessed, but the breach was not a mass leak. The MPSC scrapped the entire recruitment process as a precautionary measure.
A complaint filed by Crime Branch Inspector Mangesh Desai stated that Kautilya Academy director Pravin Patil allegedly obtained the paper through Mayur Thackeray and handed a photocopy to Amrit Patil at Pathardi Phata in Nashik.
Police have arrested Gaurav Patil, Amrit Patil, Pravin Patil, and MPSC officials Vishweshwar Nakate, Abhijit Lendve, and Gopal Marathe. Investigators have searched residences in Nandurbar and are scrutinising bank accounts and digital records.
