MPSC aspirants continued their protest at Pune’s S M Joshi Bridge on the ninth day on Friday, while police registered a case against 15 protesters and the state government said the commission chairperson could be removed only after an inquiry under Article 317 of the Constitution.
The protesters are demanding the resignation of MPSC chairperson Vivek Bhiwankar, also referred to as Bhimanwar in statements reported by the Times of India, following allegations of a paper leak in the recruitment examination for drug inspectors under the Food and Drug Administration. The aspirants have said that the demand is necessary to restore confidence in the state’s examination process.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the government could not directly seek the chairperson’s resignation over an alleged leak that occurred before the chairperson took charge. He said the state was prepared to hold a judicial inquiry by a judge in Palghar into the allegations.
“The chairperson, former officials and any other officers found guilty will face action. If the inquiry finds the chairperson guilty, we will recommend to the President that he be removed under Article 317,” Fadnavis said. He also said the agitation had initially belonged to MPSC aspirants but had since become a political agitation.
The police case was registered by Vishrambaug police against 15 protesters. NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who has been supporting the agitation, was not named in the first information report. Pawar asked the authorities to cancel the cases against the students and register them against him instead.
Pawar also questioned the police account of the protest on October 1. He claimed that some of the people named in the case were not present at the site and alleged that the gender details of two aspirants, Pramod Patil and Priyanka Chaudhary, had been recorded incorrectly. Police have not been reported as withdrawing or revising the case.
A Vishrambaug police officer said student representatives had sought permission on September 25 to hold a protest near S M Joshi Bridge on October 2. Permission was granted subject to conditions, the officer said. According to the police account, the representatives later met the chief minister in Mumbai on September 30 and informed the police that they had called off the planned protest after their demands were reportedly accepted.
The protesters have disputed that position and are seeking fresh permission to continue their peaceful agitation at the bridge. In a representation to the police, they said the alleged drug inspector examination paper leak had seriously damaged aspirants’ confidence in the MPSC process. They also referred to the Bombay High Court hearing on October 7, arguing that the court had recognised their right to protest if they believed examinations were not being conducted fairly.
Three of the seven aspirants on hunger strike—Somnath Chavan, Hrishikesh Gangurde and Gajanan Shelke—ended their fast after their health deteriorated. They accepted milk from Congress MLA Vishwajeet Kadam.
The dispute now involves three parallel processes: the protesters’ demand for the chairperson’s resignation, the police case concerning the demonstration and the state government’s proposed judicial inquiry. Fadnavis said any recommendation to remove the chairperson would have to follow the constitutional procedure under Article 317. MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who met the protesting students in Pune on October 5, said he had discussed their demands with Fadnavis and expected a positive response regarding jobs for MPSC aspirants.
