A Mumbai special court has rejected the bail plea of Gaurav Rajendra Patil, 26, in the alleged 2026 Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) drug inspector paper leak case, observing that he could not be treated as a whistleblower at this stage because he allegedly retained leaked questions and discussed their possible circulation and sale.
Special judge Shayana Patil said the investigation was still in progress and that Gaurav’s alleged role required further scrutiny. The court held that the material collected so far suggested the matter was not merely an exchange of an expected question bank on WhatsApp, but part of a wider transaction allegedly intended to favour candidates for financial benefit.
The case concerns the MPSC examination for 154 drug inspector posts. The posts were advertised on July 29, 2025, and the examination was conducted on March 22, 2026. According to the prosecution, Vishveshvar Nakate, an examination coordinator appointed by MPSC, allegedly took 294 questions prepared by experts and handed them to Abhijeet Lendve, an under secretary, in the parking area of the MPSC building.
Lendve allegedly passed the question bank to Gopal Marathe, who then gave it to Pravin Patil. The set allegedly reached candidate Rutuja Patil through her father and co-accused. She is alleged to have forwarded it to Gaurav two days before the examination.
Gaurav emailed MPSC on July 21, alleging that he had received the 294 questions from a friend on March 20 and that around 78 of them appeared in the examination. He also alleged that Rutuja, who had sent him the question set, ranked seventh on the merit list.
The court noted that Gaurav later withdrew his complaint and stated that no paper had been leaked, saying his earlier allegation had been made “for sake of mischief or fun”. The judge said this contradictory position was prima facie indicative of a lack of veracity and sincerity.
Gaurav had argued that he was the original complainant and should be treated as a whistleblower. He claimed he was only a passive recipient of WhatsApp messages, was not a candidate or beneficiary, and had no role in any conspiracy. The prosecution opposed bail, citing chats that included phrases translated as “Got the paper”, “80 questions are guaranteed to come”, “Should I give you the paper?”, “Don’t make it viral anywhere” and “Shall I sell it?”
The court said the exchanges indicated possible misuse of the leaked material. It held that Gaurav could have been treated as a whistleblower if he had immediately reported receiving the questions without discussing their circulation or sale. The judge also said the alleged offence affected the confidentiality and sanctity of competitive examinations, harmed young people competing honestly for public employment and eroded faith in institutions such as MPSC.
The court further described the alleged conduct as misuse and manipulation of the competitive examination system involving responsible persons or public servants inside the system and private individuals outside it. The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations have not been finally adjudicated.
