SIT Arrests Two More in MPSC Drug Inspector Paper Leak Case
In a major development in the MPSC Drug Inspector paper leak case, the Special Investigation Team has arrested two more accused. With these arrests, the number of people held in connection with the case has risen to 13.
According to the investigation, certain accused misused their official responsibilities, breaching the confidentiality of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission and undermining the fairness of the examination. The probe alleges that question paper copies were taken out of a confidential room and sold illegally for monetary gain.
The Commission had held the recruitment test for 154 posts of Drug Inspector, Group-B, in the Food and Drug Administration cadre. The examination was conducted at six centres across the state after the advertisement was issued on March 22, 2026, under Advertisement No. 116/2025.
A complaint filed by Mangesh Desai, the MPSC's legal representative, led to the registration of the case on August 25, 2026. The matter was recorded as crime number 0195/2026 at Cuffe Parade Police Station.
The accused face charges under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, as well as the Maharashtra Competitive Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The SIT had earlier arrested 11 accused. These include officials and employees of the MPSC, middlemen, and candidates who purchased the papers.
The arrested accused named earlier are Under Secretary Abhijit Landwe, Assistant Section Officers Vishweshwar Nakate and Gopal Marathe, Kautilya Academy director Praveen Patil, middlemen Amrut Patil, Lokesh alias Gaurav Patil, Sandeep Khalate and Bhairavnath Kadam, and candidates Rutuja Patil, Sajid Sande and Vijay Kinger.
Further investigation revealed the role of middleman Mayur Thakre in delivering question papers to candidates, and he was arrested on October 12, 2026. The SIT also found that MPSC Assistant Section Officer Rohit Koltakar had obtained a question paper from Abhijit Landwe. Koltakar was arrested from Navi Mumbai on October 23, 2026.
The SIT says the investigation into the wider paper leak network, the financial transactions, and the roles of other individuals is ongoing. Officials have said that additional arrests in the case are possible.