Leaked paper, breakup, Rs 5 lakh deal: Inside Maharashtra Drug Inspector exam scam

Investigators say a leaked question paper moved from a coaching operator to a woman candidate and then to her boyfriend. The fallout has forced the MPSC to cancel the Drug Inspector recruitment as the Crime Branch widens its probe.After his breakup, the man complained to the MPSC that his ex-girlfriend had recived a leaked paper before the exams. (AI-generated photo)A leaked paper, an affair, a bitter breakup and a Rs 5 lakh deal — a bizarre chain of events helped expose the Maharashtra Drug Inspector exam scam, according to sources.The expose comes as the Mumbai Crime Branch is probing the paper leak in the Drug Inspector recruitment examination conducted by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC). Six people have been arrested so far, including the Commission's Additional Secretary Abhijit Lendwe and three other officials.Gaurav Patil blew the whistle on the leak after his relationship with a woman candidate who had reportedly received the question paper broke down.The candidate got access to the question paper two days before the March 22 screening test. Her father is believed to have paid Rs 5 lakh in advance to Pravin Patil, a coaching-class operator in Nandurbar, where she was reportedly studying.According to sources, the woman subsequently shared the leaked paper with Gaurav Patil. She appeared for the examination and qualified for the Drug Inspector post. However, after their breakup, Gaurav approached the MPSC and complained about the paper leak. In a subsequent email, however, he claimed that he had fabricated the paper-leak allegation, adding another layer of intrigue to the case.Investigators are now examining the circumstances surrounding both claims.While Gaurav has been arrested, the woman candidate has only been served a notice.‘I ATTEMPTED 78 QUESTIONS’Investigators are also looking into a phone call made by the woman candidate to the coaching-class operator after the examination.During the call, she reportedly claimed that she had attempted 78 questions and that around 90 questions, along with their options, were identical to those in the leaked question set.Sources said the candidate deliberately attempted fewer questions during the examination to avoid raising suspicion.ANOTHER CANDIDATE RAISES QUESTIONSThe leak eventually reached the commission's attention through another candidate, Gangurde, who had publicly questioned the recruitment process.Gangurde had posted a video on social media questioning the publication of a category-wise list without marks and asking how candidates had been shortlisted for interviews.Sources said Gaurav came across Gangurde's video and subsequently contacted him. The two later met, after which the matter gained further traction.MPSC CANCELS RECRUITMENT PROCESSAmid the controversy, the MPSC cancelled the entire recruitment process for Group-B Drug Inspector posts under the Food and Drug Administration.A fresh examination will now be conducted. Candidates who have applied for the original examination will not have to submit fresh applications or pay another examination fee.The date of the re-examination is yet to be announced.The screening examination was held offline on March 22 at centres in six divisional headquarters across Maharashtra.Its results were declared on June 12, with 506 candidates initially found eligible for interviews. Interviews of 488 candidates were subsequently held between July 1 and July 22.After the interviews, the commission published a provisional merit list containing 488 candidates — 485 eligible candidates and three who were declared ineligible — for the Drug Inspector post.- EndsPublished By: Karishma Saurabh KalitaPublished On: Aug 27, 2026 08:18 IST