Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Minister Narhari Zhirwal has said his office will take action if Special Officer Ganesh Devre is found guilty in the examination paper leak case, while distancing the ministerial office from the investigation being conducted by the Mumbai Crime Branch.
The minister said he was not required to know where Devre lived and claimed that the paper leak had no connection with his office because the examinations were conducted by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission. Zhirwal’s comments came after a report published by Loksatta on September 4 raised questions about alleged links between the paper leak investigation and his office.
“Devre has been working in my office for the past year and his work has been good. But I have no idea where he lives,” Zhirwal was quoted as saying. He added that action would be taken if Devre was found guilty in the case.
Devre, who has been attached to the minister’s office as a special officer, denied that his residence had established his involvement in the alleged leak. He said he had been renting accommodation at the residence of an accused person but that this did not make him guilty of the offence. Devre also said that he had not been questioned in the case and was not hiding from investigators, according to the report.
The Mumbai Crime Branch has formed a special investigation team to investigate the alleged leak of an examination paper for drug inspectors. The team is headed by Mangesh Desai. Investigators have recovered a laptop that was allegedly used to send the question paper to candidates before it was dismantled and thrown into the Vashi creek, the report said.
Seven people have been arrested in the case, with five of them reportedly from Nandurbar and related to one another. The police investigation, as cited by Loksatta, indicates that the alleged leak may have been limited to Nandurbar. The report did not provide details of any chargesheet, findings against Devre or a final determination of the minister’s office’s role.
The controversy has also led to demands for an impartial investigation. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) spokesperson Sanjay Raut has sought an inquiry into Zhirwal’s role, while Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar has called for an independent probe.
The report also referred to an earlier incident in February, when the Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested a clerk from the minister’s office for allegedly accepting a bribe. Zhirwal had then said the employee belonged to the Food and Civil Supplies Department. Loksatta reported that several staff members continue to work in the minister’s office on deputation or temporary arrangements.
The Mumbai Crime Branch’s special investigation team remains responsible for establishing the chain of events, identifying those responsible and determining whether any ministerial office personnel were involved. Zhirwal’s stated position is that his office has no connection to the leak unless an employee is found guilty through the investigation.
