A day after filing FIR over suspected maths paper leaks, Maharashtra State Board makes U-turn
However, in a statement shared late evening on March 11, the divisional board said that the Maths Part-2 paper was shared on Telegram only after the completion of the exam, and no complaints regarding leaks of the Maths Part-1 paper had been received by them.
Senior Police Inspector Girish Dighavkar of the Shivajinagar Police Station said, “State board officials told us that the information regarding the leak on March 5 was received by them on March 9. The FIR has been registered on the basis of that. We have blocked the telegram links and two teams have been dispatched for further action.”
A day after filing an FIR over suspected lead of the Maharashtra Class 10 Mathematics Part-1 and Part-2 board exam papers one day and three days before the exam date, the Divisional education board has now taken a u-turn. Filed by an employee of the Pune divisional board, the FIR was filed on March 10 at the Shivajinagar police station and said that the papers shared online on Telegram matched the real exam question papers.
However, in a statement shared late evening on March 11, the divisional board said that the Maths Part-2 paper was shared on Telegram only after the completion of the exam, and no complaints regarding leaks of the Maths Part-1 paper had been received by them.
The FIR was filed filed against a Telegram channel called ‘Maharashtraleakers’. The Mathematics Part-1 paper was conducted on March 6 while the Part-2 paper was conducted on March 9. The FIR said that the Part-1 paper was shared on the Telegram group on March 5, while the Part-2 paper was shared on March 6. “On inspection, the paper shared with the group and the papers prepared by the Maharashtra State Examination Department were the same,” the FIR said. The group also offered upcoming Science-1 and Science-2 papers.
However, in the March 11 statement, Deepak Mali, Secretary of the Pune Divisional Education Board, said, “A message was received (on the Telegram group) at 4.56 pm on 06.03.2026 that the Maths Part-2 paper, to be conducted on 09.03.2026, would be available. A message ‘DM to me’ was sent to avail the said paper. After that, when the said link was verified on 09.03.2026 at 5.47 pm, it was seen that the suspect in the group had mentioned the password under the pdf of the Maths Part-2 paper link. When the said pdf was opened, it showed that the Maths Part-2 paper was available. The paper of Mathematics Part-2 was made available on the group after the Mathematics paper of that day…it is not seen that the papers of Mathematics Part-2 and Science Part-1 were available on the Telegram group before the commencement…”
The statement also said, “Similarly, this office has not received any complaint so far that the question papers of Mathematics Part-1 Mathematics Part-2 were circulated before the commencement of the examination.”
The FIR has been filed under sections six and seven of the The Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and other specified Examinations Act, 1982, section 72 and 66 of Information Technology Act, and sections 3(5) and 223 on the BNS.
Senior Police Inspector Girish Dighavkar of the Shivajinagar Police Station said, “State board officials told us that the information regarding the leak on March 5 was received by them on March 9. The FIR has been registered on the basis of that. We have blocked the telegram links and two teams have been dispatched for further action.”
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Nandkumar Bedse, acting Chairperson of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE), said that when their officials tried to purchase the papers for the next exam, they were not available. “This seems like a scam to extort money from parents. For the following examination which was science, we tried to avail the papers being shared. After the personal message is sent, the scammers ask for money before sharing the paper, and once the parent transfers money no paper is shared till after the exam. Therefore it looks like a scam. We have filed an FIR because there should be an investigation even if parents are being scammed.”
Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting.
Professional Background
Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune.
Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics.
Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories:
1. Investigations & Governance
"Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents.
"44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families.
2. Education & Campus Life
Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University.
"Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial.
"Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers.
3. Human Rights & Social Issues
"Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India.
"'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying.
Signature Style
Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty.
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