The paper leak that wasn’t? Two emails leave Maharashtra aspirants in limbo
The hold comes a day after NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar alleged the paper had been leaked. 488 candidates have cleared the provisional list for 154 posts, but the MPSC says final selection waits on the police inquiry
4 min readMumbaiUpdated: Jul 29, 2026 11:07 AM IST
Police will determine whether the examination was compromised or whether false allegations were circulated to mislead candidates, officials said, declining to give a timeline.
Allegations of a question paper leak in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) Drug Inspector recruitment examination have put the final recruitment on hold, leaving 488 candidates on the provisional merit list waiting indefinitely, even as the Commission maintains that it has found no evidence its original paper was leaked and has referred the matter to the police.
The development comes a day after NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar alleged on Monday that the Drug Inspector paper had been leaked and demanded an immediate investigation, claiming the person who set the paper had been compromised.
The recruitment to fill 154 Group B gazetted Drug Inspector posts in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drew around 44,500 candidates after the July 2025 advertisement. The written examination was held on March 22, 2026, at centres in the state’s six revenue division headquarters. Results were declared on June 12, with 506 candidates qualifying for interviews, which were held from July 9 to 22. The Commission published a provisional merit list of 488 candidates on July 22.
The final recommendation to the state government will be made only after the police probe ends, Commission sources told The Indian Express.
The controversy surfaced on July 21, when the FDA received an email from Gaurav Patil, who government sources said is not a candidate but a friend of aspirant Rishikesh Gangane, alleging the paper had leaked before the test. FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe told The Indian Express that the department recorded Patil’s statement and forwarded the complaint with supporting documents to the MPSC.
The MPSC received a similar email the next day from Gaurav Patil, who named Lokesh Patil as a co-complainant. The email claimed the paper had leaked two days before the test and that nearly 80 of the 100 questions matched. Gaurav Patil submitted WhatsApp chats and PDF documents on July 23.
On July 26, Gaurav and Lokesh Patil wrote to the MPSC again, stating that the paper circulating before the March 22 examination was different from the actual one. In a statement on Monday, Sarita Bandekar-Deshmukh, Joint Secretary at the MPSC, said the Commission had concluded its own paper was not leaked, noting that the complainants themselves had admitted as much.
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The Commission filed a police complaint. “Once a complaint is made before a constitutional authority, it becomes the duty of that authority to verify the allegations. Withdrawal of the complaint later does not affect the inquiry,” Commission sources sid, adding that all emails, chats and other material were handed to police.
The Property Cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch has begun a preliminary inquiry. Gangane visited its Byculla office on Tuesday afternoon, where his statement was recorded, and submitted documents the Crime Branch is verifying, a senior officer said. “No FIR has been registered so far. A police team will soon visit the examination centre in Nandurbar as part of the inquiry,” the officer added.
Police will determine whether the examination was compromised or whether false allegations were circulated to mislead candidates, officials said, declining to give a timeline.
The July 22 list is only provisional, Commission sources said. The final list of 154 will be drawn up only after vertical and horizontal reservation norms are applied. It is too early to say whether the examination could be cancelled or a fresh test ordered, sources said, adding that any such decision would rest on the police findings.
Manish Kumar Pathak is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates substantial Expertise and Authority across the complex field of crime reporting, with a strong focus on law enforcement actions, fraud, and cyber security challenges facing the metropolitan region.
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