MPSC Drug Inspector Exam Leak: 7th Ranker Rutuja Patil Arrested by Mumbai Police
Mumbai Police arrested MPSC Drug Inspector exam 7th ranker Rutuja Patil for a paper leak. She allegedly answered 10 questions wrong to avoid suspicion. Her arrest brings total accused to seven, prompting MPSC to cancel the recruitment exam. After her arrest, Patil was produced before a court and remanded to the custody of the Mumbai Crime Branch.
The Mumbai Police today, September 1, arrested Rutuja Patil, a high-ranking candidate in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission's (MPSC) Drug Inspector examination, in connection with an ongoing question paper leak investigation. Patil, who secured the seventh rank in the recruitment process, was apprehended by the Mumbai Crime Branch's Property Cell from Nandurbar. Her arrest brings the total number of individuals taken into custody in the case to seven.
Investigation and Deliberate Errors
According to investigators, Patil had received access to the leaked question paper ahead of the examination, reports PTI. Police revealed that she was allegedly instructed to deliberately answer 10 questions incorrectly to avoid raising suspicion, on the premise that getting a flawless score on a difficult exam might draw unwanted scrutiny. MPSC Paper Leak: Breakup With Girlfriend Leads Man To Expose Exam Scam, Get Arrested Himself.
After her arrest, Patil was produced before a court and remanded to the custody of the Mumbai Crime Branch. The MPSC Drug Inspector (Group-B) screening examination was conducted offline across six divisional headquarters on March 22 to fill 154 gazetted posts under the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The results were declared on June 12, qualifying 506 candidates for interviews. However, following complaints regarding irregularities received between July 22 and 26, the MPSC launched an inquiry.
Previous Arrests and Institutional Action
Prior to Patil's arrest, the Crime Branch had arrested six other individuals, including three MPSC officials: assistant section officers Vishweshwar Dattatraya Nakate and Gopal Bhattu Marathe, and undersecretary Abhijit Ganpatrao Lendwe. Also among those arrested are Kautilya Academy director Pravin Dilip Patil, along with co-conspirators Amrut Namdeo Patil and Lokesh, also known as Gaurav Rajendra Patil.
Investigators stated that the accused had illegally accessed examination questions prepared by experts, compiled them into a separate set, and distributed them to unauthorised individuals. Recovered WhatsApp chats also point to discussions regarding a substantial financial payment for access to the material. MPSC Drug Inspector Exam Leak Row: Commission Orders Police Complaint, Launches Probe Into Paper Leak Allegations.
Although initial police findings indicate that the breach did not involve a mass leak and was limited to specific beneficiaries, the MPSC has opted to cancel the entire recruitment process as a precautionary measure to safeguard the integrity and transparency of its examinations, announcing that a fresh test will be conducted.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 01, 2026 10:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).