Mumbai: In a bizarre twist to the Maharashtra Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) drug inspector paper-leak investigation, the whistleblower has now been arrested as the alleged mastermind.
On Wednesday, the Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch arrested six people, including three MPSC employees, alleging that the 24-year-old ‘whistleblower’ had first procured the question paper for his girlfriend and then reported the leak to the commission after the couple broke up, as reported by The Indian Express.
His girlfriend, Rutuja, has also been served a notice by the Crime Branch. She allegedly received the paper and went on to secure seventh rank in the recruitment examination.
Lokesh, alias Gaurav Patil, who initially approached the MPSC claiming to have information about the leak, was found during the investigation to have arranged access to the paper himself, Crime Branch DCP Raj Tilak Roushan said
“In all, six persons, including three MPSC employees, have been placed under arrest. A notice has been issued to Rutuja,” he said.
During investigation, it came to be known that ahead of the March 22 examination, Lokesh allegedly contacted middleman Pravin Patil (40), who was also from Nandurbar.
Pravin knew three MPSC employees – assistant section officers Vishveshwar Nakate (35), Gopal Marate (37), and under secretary Abhijeet Lendave – who allegedly helped procure the question paper.
Pravin allegedly paid Rs 5 lakh to the MPSC employees, with more money promised later. Lokesh then allegedly handed the paper to Rutuja’s father, Amrut Patil (55), who passed it on to her, the police have claimed.
She secured seventh rank, but by the time the results were declared, Lokesh and Rutuja had broken up, it was found by the investigators.
It was after the breakup that Lokesh turned whistleblower, the police said. He emailed the MPSC, claiming to be a friend of an applicant and alleged that the March 22 examination paper had been leaked.
He followed up on the complaint, while NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar separately raised the issue towards the end of July, alleging that candidates at a coaching institute in Nandurbar had received most of the questions two days before the examination.
The commission then approached the Mumbai Police, and the Crime Branch’s Property Cell took over the probe.
Investigators initially recorded Lokesh’s statement. But as the probe progressed, he sensed that investigators were closing in on him, the police said. He subsequently approached the MPSC again and tried to backtrack on his complaint, claiming that he had been confused about the examination process.
The Crime Branch, however, continued its investigation and found that the paper had indeed been leaked – allegedly at Lokesh’s behest.
The recruitment examination was conducted for 154 Group B gazetted posts in the Food and Drug Administration. Around 44,500 candidates appeared at centres across the state’s six revenue divisions. The results were declared on June 12, with 506 candidates qualifying for interviews. A provisional merit list of 488 candidates was published on July 22.
The Crime Branch conveyed its findings to the MPSC on Tuesday and registered an FIR. The six accused were arrested on Wednesday and produced before a court, which remanded them in police custody.
Following the Crime Branch report, the MPSC cancelled the examination and said a fresh examination would be conducted.
