MPSC Drug Inspector paper leak: 4 more arrested, total arrests rise to 11

The MumbaiCrime Branch arrested four more people — two candidates and two alleged middlemen — on September 24, 2026, from Sangli, Buldhana and Navi Mumbai in connection with the alleged leak of the MPSC Drug Inspector recruitment examination question paper, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 11, police said on Friday (Septmber 25, 2026).

The case was registered at Cuffe Parade police station on August 25 and was subsequently taken up by the Crime Branch under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Maharashtra Competitive Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018.

The four were arrested on September 24 by a special investigation team probing the alleged unauthorised circulation of the confidential question paper for financial gain, the Crime Branch said on September 25.

Police identified the two candidates as Sajid Sande, who was arrested from Sangli, and Vijay Kingar, who was arrested from Buldhana. The two alleged middlemen, Sandip Khalate and Bhairavnath Kadam, were arrested from Navi Mumbai.

The Crime Branch, in its investigation, found that copies of a question paper selected by experts and kept in the MPSC’s confidential section were allegedly prepared, taken out through unauthorised means and subsequently obtained and circulated for financial gain. Police have alleged that the acts compromised the confidentiality and fairness of the examination and involved misuse of official duties by public servants.

Several people, including MPSC employees, candidates and persons allegedly acting as intermediaries, had already been arrested in the case.

Those arrested earlier include Under Secretary Abhijit Lende; Assistant Section Officers Vishweshwar Nakate and Gopal Marathe, who worked in the confidential section; Kautilya Academy director Pravin Patil; alleged intermediaries Amrut Patil and Lokesh alias Gaurav Patil; and candidate Rutuja Patil, according to the police.

With the latest four arrests, the number of accused arrested in the case has risen to 11.

The case relates to the MPSC examination conducted on March 22 for recruitment to 154 Drug Inspector, Group-B posts in the Food and Drug Administration. The examination, advertised under Advertisement No. 116/2025, was held at six examination centres across Maharashtra.