The Mumbai crime branch has arrested an alleged mediator in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) drug inspector exam paper leak case, widening an investigation into the alleged sale of a photocopy of the question paper for Rs 5 lakh. Mayur Thackeray was arrested in Mumbai on Monday and remanded in police custody until October 17.
Thackeray is the 10th accused arrested in the case, according to the police. Investigators allege that he helped transfer the photocopy and the money between the owner of a coaching academy and the father of a candidate who appeared for the examination.
Raj Tilak Roshan, deputy commissioner of police, crime, said the investigation team had been tracking Thackeray after his name emerged in the case. Police arrested him in Mumbai based on specific intelligence, he said.
According to the police, Thackeray had gone into hiding after his alleged role surfaced. Investigators said he stayed in Nandurbar, Nashik and Mumbai before his arrest. The police are also trying to establish how much money he received from the alleged transaction.
The case concerns the MPSC examination for the post of drug inspector. The alleged leak has drawn attention to the safeguards surrounding competitive recruitment examinations, where a question paper leak can affect candidates who prepare for months and rely on the process for access to government employment.
The candidate, Rutuja Patil, had secured high marks in the examination, the report said. She is currently in police custody, along with her father, Amrut Patil, and Pravin Patil, the owner of the coaching academy. The police allege that the candidate’s father was involved in the transfer of the money and question paper.
The latest arrest follows the detention of the other accused in the case and is expected to help investigators establish the alleged chain through which the question paper and payment changed hands. Thackeray’s police custody will continue until October 17, when he is scheduled to be produced before the court for further proceedings.
