Navi Mumbai, October 23 — The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged leak of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) Drug Inspector examination paper has arrested Assistant Section Officer Rohit Koltakar from Navi Mumbai on Friday, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 13. The Free Press Journal reported the arrest on Friday with the same total, and The World Opinion reported that, according to investigators, Koltakar had allegedly obtained the question paper from Under Secretary Abhijit Lendwe, an accused arrested earlier in the case.

Source: The World Opinion

The case concerns the screening examination held on March 22, 2026 for 154 Drug Inspector (Group-B) posts in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), conducted at six centres across Maharashtra under Advertisement No. 116/2025. A case was registered on August 25, 2026 at Cuffe Parade police station (Crime No. 0195/2026) on a complaint by Mangesh Desai on behalf of the MPSC, under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Maharashtra Competitive Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

How police say the paper moved

According to the Crime Branch investigation reported by the Free Press Journal, a confidential superset of 294 questions prepared by experts was allegedly copied by MPSC official Vishweshwar Nakate, who, police allege, prepared a separate set, printed it and handed it to Lendwe in the MPSC office parking area. Police allege the set then passed through official Gopal Marathe to Kautilya Academy director Pravin Patil, and onward for an alleged payment of Rs 5 lakh (yaani five lakh rupees) toward candidate Rutuja Patil's family. Investigators have also said 77 questions from the allegedly leaked set appeared in the final examination paper. These are police allegations from the investigation; they have not been proved in court.

Source: Free Press Journal

The MPSC has cancelled the entire Drug Inspector recruitment and ordered a fresh examination, PTI reported. A total of 485 candidates had been found eligible for appointment after the screening test and interviews; they will now have to take the fresh examination, the commission said, to ensure a fair and equal opportunity and to protect the integrity of the process.

Source: PTI via Times of India report

Thirteen arrests since August — officials, middlemen and high rankers

The first six arrests, including three MPSC officials, were made on August 26. Four more arrests on September 24 — candidates Sajid Sande (third rank) and Vijay Kingar (fourth rank) and alleged middlemen Sandeep Khalate and Bhairavnath Kadam — took the total to 11, The Hindu reported at the time. The Crime Branch then arrested Mayur Thakre on October 12 as the 12th accused, ANI reported, and Friday's arrest of Koltakar takes the count to 13. Thousands of aspirants protested in Pune on September 7 demanding transparency, and reports said the state government set up a five-member inquiry panel into the leak.

Source: ANI (12th arrest)

The SIT has said the investigation into the alleged paper-leak network, the money trail and the roles of other individuals is continuing, and further arrests cannot be ruled out. Every person named in this report is an accused in an ongoing investigation; the charges are allegations that a court will decide.

Source: The World Opinion