Mumbai Crime Branch arrested six people over a paper leak in the MPSC Drug Inspector exam. Following the breach, the MPSC cancelled the entire recruitment process. The move prompted NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar to demand the MPSC chairman’s resignation.
Arrests Made in Exam Breach
The Crime Branch has arrested six individuals in connection with a breach of confidentiality regarding the Maharashtra Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) Drug Inspector (Group-B) examination, officials said. According to the police, a case was registered under the Maharashtra Competitive Examination (Prevention of Malpractices) Act, 2024, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The investigation revealed that the accused had illegally obtained questions from the examination set. Following a meticulous investigation, the six accused were apprehended on August 26, 2026. The accused were produced before the Hon’ble Court, which has remanded them to police custody until September 2.
Recruitment Process Cancelled
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has cancelled the entire recruitment process for the post of Drug Inspector in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Department following irregularities in the examination, prompting NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar to demand the resignation of the MPSC chairman and secretary. The decision came after an investigation by the Crime Investigation Branch reportedly found that one candidate had gained prior access to the question paper.
Timeline of Events and Investigation
The background of a preliminary inquiry conducted after complaints were received regarding alleged malpractice in the screening examination held on March 22. After the Commision has published an advertisement for the post of Drug Inspector on July 29, 2025, the screening examination was conducted offline on March 22 at six divisional headquarters in the state. The result of this examination was declared on June 12.
After the screening examination, 506 candidates were found eligible for the interview. Out of them, interviews of 488 candidates were conducted from July 1 to 22.
After the completion of interviews on July 22, a provisional general merit list of a total of 488 candidates, including 485 eligible and three ineligible for the post of Drug Inspector, was published on the Commission’s website.
Meanwhile, between July 22 and 26, the Commission received complaints via e-mail from some candidates as well as public representatives regarding malpractice in the screening examination held on March 22. The complaints claimed that before the commencement of the examination, on March 20, some candidates had received the question paper or questions, and they were circulated through social media or electronic media.
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