She passed, he didn't forgive: Ex-boyfriend's tip-off exposes Maharashtra paper leak

The arrests were made for leaking an examination held for the post of drug inspector (Group B) conducted by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission.

Six people, including an MPSC undersecretary and two assistant section officers, were arrested on Wednesday in connection with the alleged leak of the question paper for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) drug inspector (Group B) examination held in March, police said.

One of those arrested had enrolled with Kautalya Coaching Classes, which had allegedly told its students it could gain access to the MPSC question paper. (HT Photo)

Those arrested are MPSC undersecretary Abhijit Lendave, 38; assistant section officers Gopal Marathe, 37, and Vishweshwar Nakate, 35; Kautalya Coaching Classes director Pravin Patil, 40; schoolteacher Amrut Namdeo Patil, 55; and Gaurav Patil, 24, a pharma company employee from Malegaon.

Jilted boyfriend tips off cops

The case came to light after the MPSC received an email on July 22 alleging that the March 22 question paper had been leaked. The email was sent by Gaurav, whose girlfriend Rutuja Patil had allegedly benefited from the leaked paper.

“We submitted a preliminary report and on Wednesday registered a case in the matter,” said deputy commissioner of police Raj Tilak Roshan.

Police said 77 questions from the leaked set overlapped with the 294 questions in the examination paper. Rutuja cleared the exam and the final results, declared on July 22, saw 488 candidates qualify.

Police said Rutuja had enrolled at Kautalya Coaching Classes after responding to an advertisement for the drug inspector post.

The coaching institute had allegedly told students that it could gain access to the examination paper.

Police said Rutuja later shared the leaked questions with Gaurav, whose brother had appeared for the examination. She subsequently avoided him and ended their relationship after her family refused to approve their marriage.

Infuriated, Gaurav emailed the MPSC about the leak, triggering the investigation. Police said he later tried to withdraw the complaint but investigators had already begun probing the matter.

The MPSC has cancelled the selection process and will conduct a re-examination.

“We have registered a case at the Cuffe-Parade police station under sections 112 (petty organised crime), 316 (criminal breach of trust), 318 (cheating), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence), 317 (stolen property), 303 (theft) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and various sections of the Maharashtra Competitive Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024,” the police officer said.

NCP leader Rohit Pawar had earlier alleged that the paper was sold for around ₹12 lakh at Kautalya Classes in Nandurbar, with ₹5 lakh paid in advance.