MPSC Drug Inspector Exam Paper Leak: Rank 7 Candidate Rutuja Patil Arrested for Allegedly Receiving Leaked Questions

Mumbai police have arrested Rutuja Patil who secured the seventh rank in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) Drug Inspector (Group-B) examination in the alleged question paper leak case.

Patil was arrested from Nandurbar by Mumbai Crime Branch's Property Cell. There were seven people arrested in the case, said officials.

Investigators allege that Patil received the leaked question paper before the examination and was told to deliberately answer 10 questions incorrectly to avoid suspicion. Despite the alleged effort to hide the advantage gained from the leaked paper, she eventually secured the seventh rank in the examination.

Patil was produced before a court and remanded to the custody of the Mumbai Crime Branch for further investigation.

Her arrest follows the Mumbai Crime Branch's detention of six other people, including three MPSC officials, for the alleged leak of the Drug Inspector (Group-B) screening examination question paper. The examination was held on March 22 for the recruitment of Drug Inspector posts in Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration Department.

The other accused include MPSC assistant section officers Vishweshwar Dattatraya Nakate and Gopal Bhattu Marathe, MPSC under secretary Abhijit Ganpatrao Lendwe, Kautilya Academy director Pravin Dilip Patil, and alleged co-conspirators Amrut Namdeo Patil and Lokesh, also known as Gaurav Rajendra Patil.

According to the Mumbai Crime Branch, the accused allegedly obtained questions for the examination before the test and compiled them separately before distributing them to unauthorised individuals.

The screening examination was conducted offline in six divisional headquarters around Maharashtra. Results were announced on June 12 with 506 candidates qualifying for the interview. Out of the 506 candidates, 488 appeared for interviews held between July 1 and July 22.

A provisional merit list was subsequently published which included 488 candidates, including 485 considered eligible for appointment. However, allegations of severe irregularities started to emerge between July 22 and July 26.

Candidates and public representatives alleged that some examinees had received either the complete question paper or questions from it before the examination. The material was also alleged to have been circulated using electronic media.

Following a preliminary inquiry that uncovered a possible breach of the confidentiality of the examination process, the MPSC cancelled the recruitment process and announced that a new examination would be held.

The commission stated that the decision was necessary to protect the fairness, transparency and credibility of the recruitment process and to give equal opportunity to all candidates.

The case has been registered in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at Competitive Examinations Act and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The accused face allegations of cheating, criminal breach of trust, criminal conspiracy and corruption involving public servants.

The investigation is continuing with the Mumbai Crime Branch examining how the confidential examination material was allegedly accessed and circulated before the test.