MPSC Paper Leak: Minister Denies Office Link, Probe Continues
Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Minister Narhari Zhirwal has denied any connection between his office and the alleged leak of a Maharashtra Public Service Commission examination paper, saying action would be taken against his special officer Ganesh Deore if he is found guilty. The statement came after a report linked the alleged leak’s trail to the minister’s office.
Zhirwal said he was not required to know where employees working in his office lived and that Deore had been working there for the past year. He said Deore’s work had been satisfactory, but added that action would follow if the investigation established his involvement in the paper-leak case.
The minister also said the examinations were conducted by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission and that the alleged paper leak had no connection with his office. His remarks followed a report published by Loksatta on September 4 under the headline “Paper-leak links reach minister’s office”, according to the report.
Deore, while responding to media queries, said he rented accommodation at the residence of one of the accused but denied that this meant he was involved in the paper leak. He said he had not been questioned in the case, was not hiding anywhere and was being unnecessarily defamed by the media.
The alleged leak concerns the examination for drug inspectors. A special investigation team of the Mumbai Crime Branch has been formed to investigate the case. The team is headed by Mangesh Desai, according to the report.
Police have recovered a laptop that investigators believe was used to send the question paper to examination candidates. The laptop had allegedly been dismantled and thrown into Vashi Creek by the accused, before being recovered by the police.
Seven people have been arrested in the case, five of them from Nandurbar. The arrested individuals are reported to be related to one another. The police investigation, as described in the report, indicates that the alleged leak may have been limited to Nandurbar, although the investigation is continuing.
The allegations have also triggered demands for a wider and impartial inquiry. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) spokesperson Sanjay Raut has called for Zhirwal to be questioned in connection with the case. Congress legislature party leader Vijay Wadettiwar has sought an impartial investigation.
The report also referred to an earlier incident involving the minister’s office. In February, the Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested a clerk, Raju Dherang, while allegedly accepting a bribe at the ministry office. Zhirwal had then said the employee belonged to the Food and Civil Supplies Department.
According to the report, several employees continue to work in the minister’s office on deputation, including two additional special officers, two clerks and three peons, apart from the private secretary and special officer. Zhirwal has said that Deore was being sent back to his parent department after the issue emerged. The crime branch’s special investigation team is continuing its inquiry into the alleged leak and the role, if any, of individuals connected to the minister’s office.
