Phone calls offering MPSC exam question paper for Rs 40 lakhs: 3 arrested

Dr Suvarna Kharat, secretary of MPSC, lodged the first information report (FIR) in this case at the Bund Garden police station on Friday.

The MPSC is conducting examinations for Group B (Non-Gazetted) Services on February 2 across the state. Thousands of students are appearing for the examination.

But, in the last few days, some students from Pune received calls on their mobile phones from a person claiming to be an employee of “Rohan Consultancy” in Nagpur, who offered to provide them with question papers for the scheduled MPSC examination on payment of Rs 40 lakh.

An audio clip of this phone call went viral on social media, causing a major disturbance among candidates appearing for the MPSC examination. To prevent any panic, MPSC’s secretary Suvarna Kharat held a press conference in Navi Mumbai on Friday, saying that no question papers had been leaked.

Kharat also filed a formal complaint with the Pune city police. Subsequently, the crime branch sleuths initiated a probe into it. Based on clues obtained during the investigation, cops arrested Deepak Gaydhane, a native of Bhandara district and Sumit Jadhav of Nashik district, from Chakan area in Pune. Their mobile phones were also seized.

Further probe revealed that Gaydhane and Jadhav are factory workers, who got hold of a list of 24 candidates appearing for the MPSC examination, from one Yogesh Waghmare of Nagpur on January 24, 2025. The duo had then contacted at least two candidates whose contact numbers were mentioned in this list, police said.

A police team was dispatched from Pune to Nagpur to arrest Waghmare. Taking swift action, Nagpur police nabbed Waghmare and handed him over to the Pune cops on Saturday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) Nikhil Pingle of Pune city police said that so far there is no evidence to show that MPSC question papers may have been leaked.

“An investigation is on to know from where the accused got a list of the candidates appearing for the MPSC examination. We are probing whether they got this information from any coaching classes. We suspect the involvement of more persons in this crime. So far, we have not found involvement of any MPSC staffers in this case,” said Pingle.

Police have booked the accused persons under section 62, 318 (4), 353 (1), 353 (1)(b) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) for allegedly cheating the candidates and causing fear and panic among a section of society by spreading false information.

Assistant commissioner of police Rajendra Mulik produced the accused Gaidhane and Jadhav before a magistrate court in Pune on Saturday.

Public prosecutor Dilip Gaikwad sought police custody of the two accused for 14 days for further investigation. Police are probing the mobile phone calls and financial transactions of the accused persons. Police suspect the role of an organised group that wanted to cheat multiple candidates. The court remanded Gaidhane and Jadhav to police custody till February 7.