WhatsApp conversations and a bitter breakup have emerged as key leads in the MPSC exam paper leak
Investigators have recovered WhatsApp chats that allegedly show Rutuja was told to deliberately answer 10 questions incorrectly after receiving the leaked material. The Crime Branch said the leaked material contained 294 questions, of which 77 matched questions in the actual MPSC Drug Inspector examination paper. Investigators have also recovered a WhatsApp conversation in which Rutuja allegedly told a female friend that she had received the Drug Inspector examination paper in advance and paid Rs 50 lakh for it. The conversation ends with the alleged statement that she had paid Rs 50 lakh for the Drug Inspector exam. The Crime Branch has alleged that Rutuja asked Gaurav to arrange Rs 5 lakh for payment to officials in connection with obtaining the question paper.
MUMBAI: “Get 10 questions wrong” — this was allegedly the instruction given to Rutuja Patil after she got access to the Maharashtra Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) Drug Inspector exam paper in advance, in an apparent attempt to ensure her performance did not arouse suspicion, according to the Mumbai Crime Branch. When her friend asked how she had managed to prepare for the difficult examination, Rutuja allegedly replied, “I didn’t study,” followed by a smiley, according to the transcript. When asked how she had managed to take the exam, she allegedly said she had received the question paper in advance. Rutuja subsequently cleared the exam, police said. Police said Rutuja’s father, Amrit Patil, subsequently arranged the money. Following their breakup, Gaurav allegedly approached the MPSC and informed the commission about the suspected paper leak, according to investigators. Crime Branch officials said the investigation so far had not indicated a mass leak of the examination paper. “The inquiry commission found only one candidate had received the question set and benefited from it,” DCP (Crime) Raj Tilak Roshan said. Roshan said questions were illegally obtained from a question set prepared by experts. A separate question paper was allegedly prepared using the leaked questions and circulated among other people, he said.
The suspected reasoning was that getting every question right in a difficult examination could raise questions about how she had performed so well. The chats are among the key pieces of evidence being examined in the paper-leak probe, which has so far led to the arrest of six people. Rutuja remains absconding. She then warned her friend not to disclose the information, including to colleagues at her workplace. The Crime Branch is now examining whether the payment was actually made, who allegedly arranged it and who may have benefited from the money. Gaurav allegedly refused, citing financial constraints. The relationship between Rutuja and Gaurav later turned sour. Despite this, the MPSC scrapped the entire recruitment process as a precautionary measure. The probe is now focused on how the original question set was accessed, how the leaked questions were circulated and whether candidates were asked to pay for the material. The Crime Branch has arrested six people in connection with the case: Gaurav Patil; MPSC assistant cell officer Vishweshwar Nakate; MPSC under secretary Abhijit Lendve; MPSC assistant cell officer Gopal Marathe; Kautilya Academy director Pravin Patil; and Amrit Patil, Rutuja’s father. The complaint registered by Crime Branch inspector Mangesh Desai alleges that academy director Pravin Patil obtained the paper through Mayur Thackeray, who is also under the scanner, and handed a photocopy of it to Rutuja’s father at Pathardi Phata in Nashik. The complaint further alleges that three MPSC officials received financial benefits. Crime Branch teams have searched the residences of the accused in Nandurbar and are scrutinising their bank transactions and digital communications.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also said on Thursday that, according to the police investigation, the paper had not been leaked to a large number of candidates but had reached one individual.
Allegations of Exam Paper Tampering in Drug Inspector Test
Gaurav is accused of obtaining questions from the Drug Inspector examination paper prior to the test scheduled for March 22. According to police reports, he shared these questions with Rutuja, who was preparing to take the exam. Investigators allege that this action was intended to assist her in passing the examination, raising concerns about the integrity of the testing process.
Fadnavis warns no one will be spared
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“Stern action is happening and it will happen,” he said. He said the state government had constituted a committee to recommend reforms in the conduct of examinations and that the MPSC had also been asked to undertake internal reforms. He also alleged that if the government wanted to show photographs linking Gadhave to political leaders, he could produce “thousands” of photographs of Gadhave with BJP leaders.
The investigation has also brought Rutuja’s relationship with Lokesh alias Gaurav Rajendra Patil into focus. His disclosure eventually set the investigation in motion. The chief minister also accused opposition leaders of trying to politicise the issue, referring to NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar. Fadnavis cited BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban’s allegation that accused Sunil Gadhave was associated with Pawar. Ban had alleged that Gadhave was a close associate of the NCP (SP) MLA. Pawar hit back at Fadnavis on X, saying it was inappropriate for the chief minister to bring politics into a serious examination-leak case. Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes , Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India. Download the TOI App.
Fadnavis on Thursday said no one would be spared in the case, irrespective of their identity or political affiliation.