The Japan Times - MPSC Drug Inspector Exam Leak: Rutuja Patil Allegedly Paid Rs 50 Lakh for Leaked Paper

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Crime Branch has revealed that Rutuja Patil, the candidate at the center of a Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) Drug Inspector exam leak investigation, was allegedly instructed to deliberately answer ten questions incorrectly. This measure was reportedly taken to ensure her performance did not arouse suspicion after she gained advance access to the examination paper.

Investigators stated that recovered WhatsApp chats indicate Patil received specific guidance on how to handle the leaked material. The suspected reasoning behind the instruction was that achieving a perfect score in a difficult examination would raise questions about how she had performed so well without standard preparation.

The Crime Branch confirmed that the leaked material contained 294 questions, of which 77 matched those in the actual MPSC Drug Inspector examination paper held on March 22. These chats are among the key pieces of evidence being examined in the probe, which has led to the arrest of six individuals. Patil remains absconding.

**Alleged Payment and Digital Evidence**

Investigators have also recovered a WhatsApp conversation in which Patil allegedly informed a female friend that she had received the Drug Inspector examination paper in advance and paid Rs 50 lakh for it. According to the transcript, when her friend asked how she had managed to prepare for the difficult examination, Patil allegedly replied, "I didn't study," followed by a smiley.

When asked how she had managed to take the exam, she allegedly said she had received the question paper in advance. She then warned her friend not to disclose the information, including to colleagues at her workplace. The conversation ends with the alleged statement that she had paid Rs 50 lakh for the Drug Inspector exam.

The Crime Branch is now examining whether the payment was actually made, who allegedly arranged it, and who may have benefited from the money.

**Role of Boyfriend and Breakup**

The investigation has brought Patil’s relationship with Lokesh, alias Gaurav Rajendra Patil, into focus. According to police, Gaurav was in a relationship with Patil, who was preparing for the Drug Inspector examination. Investigators allege that Gaurav obtained questions from the examination paper before the March 22 test and shared them with Patil to help her clear the examination.

Patil subsequently cleared the exam, police said. The Crime Branch has alleged that Patil asked Gaurav to arrange Rs 5 lakh for payment to officials in connection with obtaining the question paper. Gaurav allegedly refused, citing financial constraints. Police said Patil’s father, Amrit Patil, subsequently arranged the money.

The relationship between Patil and Gaurav later turned sour. Following their breakup, Gaurav allegedly approached the MPSC and informed the commission about the suspected paper leak, according to investigators. His disclosure eventually set the investigation in motion.

**Probe Points to Single Candidate**

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.

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. Despite this, the MPSC scrapped the entire recruitment process as a precautionary measure.

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 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.

**Arrests and Political Fallout**

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 scrutinizing their bank transactions and digital communications.

Fadnavis on Thursday said no one would be spared in the case, irrespective of their identity or political affiliation. "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.

The chief minister also accused opposition leaders of trying to politicize 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. 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.

K.Hashimoto--JT