NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar has accused the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) of a paper leak in its drug inspector recruitment exam and called for a CBI investigation, citing evidence of compromised question papers shared via WhatsApp and ignored student complaints. He also pointed to suspicious ranks secured by relatives of a deputy tehsildar and a 'Barshi connection,' raising concerns about institutional integrity and past recruitment irregularities.

NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar has accused the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) of a paper leak in its drug inspector recruitment exam and called for a CBI investigation, citing evidence of compromised question papers shared via WhatsApp and ignored student complaints. He also pointed to suspicious ranks secured by relatives of a deputy tehsildar and a 'Barshi connection,' raising concerns about institutional integrity and past recruitment irregularities.

NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar has accused the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) of a paper leak in its drug inspector recruitment exam and called for a CBI investigation, citing evidence of compromised question papers shared via WhatsApp and ignored student complaints. He also pointed to suspicious ranks secured by relatives of a deputy tehsildar and a 'Barshi connection,' raising concerns about institutional integrity and past recruitment irregularities.

NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar claimed the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) recruitment examination for drug inspectors had suffered a paper leak. While seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday, Rohit Pawar alleged that students had submitted a complaint to the MPSC on July 21, but no action was taken. Instead, they were allegedly threatened with police action.

Pawar condemned the several examination paper leak cases that Maharashtra had witnessed in recent years. "The entire MPSC (drug inspector recruitment) paper may not have been leaked, but the person who set the paper was compromised. The question paper was allegedly shared with candidates through WhatsApp and deleted within five minutes. The matter came to light after one of the recipients forwarded the questions to a friend," he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

ALSO READ | MPSC Drug Inspector recruitment test's questions were never leaked?

He also questioned how the son and daughter of a deputy tehsildar secured the 13th and 16th ranks, respectively, in the examination. The NCP (SP) has found a "Barshi connection" in the alleged irregularities, he said while seeking an independent investigation. The MPSC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should immediately probe the allegations and transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), he reportedly said.

"We had earlier submitted evidence regarding irregularities in the Talathi recruitment to the Chief Minister, but nothing happened. Later, the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal observed that 62 fraudulent candidates had been identified in the Talathi recruitment process," he claimed. Pawar said he and leaders of his party would visit the MPSC office and also meet FDA Chairman Tukaram Mundhe over the issue.

"A large number of people depend on the MPSC, and the public has immense faith in the institution. At the same time, the officers selected through the MPSC are meant to serve the people. But if a question paper is leaked and someone becomes an officer by paying money, that person cannot deliver justice to the people," Rohit Pawar had said.

Responding to the allegations, Kautilya Academy Director Pravin Patil from Nandurbar denied any wrongdoing. "I have committed no offence. I have never heard of an MPSC paper leak. The students concerned visited me only for guidance on interview preparation. The WhatsApp chats and recordings are being presented in a misleading manner. I am ready to face any inquiry. The allegations against me are false," Pravin Patil was quoted as saying by PTI.

Later in the day, a handwritten statement purportedly by some students went viral, claiming that the complaint about the alleged paper leak had been made in jest. Pawar shared the letter on X and raised several questions over its contents. In the post, Pawar questioned how the authorities could describe the complaint as a joke while simultaneously acknowledging the existence of screenshots of the question paper. He also asked why an inquiry had been conducted if the complaint was not genuine and sought to know which "test series" allegedly matched 90 questions in the examination.

Pawar questioned discrepancies in the names and signatures on the handwritten statements and alleged that the students had been pressured into writing the letter. "Students may have been threatened into writing the statement, but the truth can never be hidden. Every attempt to suppress it only exposes more inconsistencies. The youth are intelligent and will ensure that the truth comes out," Pawar said in the X post.

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