A National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) employee in Pune has been booked for allegedly leaking the question paper for a Work Assistant recruitment examination, after material circulated on WhatsApp was found to match the original paper. Chatushrungi Police registered the case under Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The accused has been identified as Vivek Baban Hadwale. The complaint was filed by Vaibhav Pandurang Sherkar, 35, an officer with the Vigilance Department of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, according to the report by Punekar News.
The examination was conducted on May 24, 2025, at NCRA’s centre on the Savitribai Phule Pune University campus. The alleged leak came to the attention of the vigilance department in June 2026, more than a year after the examination was held.
According to the complaint, an individual who met the vigilance officer during the inquiry said that the question paper had been received through WhatsApp from Hadwale’s mobile number at about 7:15 am on May 23, 2025, a day before the examination. The individual reportedly provided printed copies of the paper, screenshots of WhatsApp conversations and photographs showing the question paper on a mobile phone.
Officials then compared the material submitted during the inquiry with the original question paper maintained by the institution. The comparison reportedly found that the two papers were identical. Following that verification, the complaint was filed against Hadwale for allegedly disclosing confidential examination material.
The case has been registered under Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act and Sections 316(2) and 316(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The provisions cited in the case relate to the alleged disclosure of protected information and associated offences, as invoked by the police in the complaint.
The reported sequence highlights the institutional chain involved when examination material is alleged to have been compromised: the question paper is held by the recruiting institution, the vigilance department examines the material and supporting digital records, and the police investigate whether a criminal offence has occurred. The supplied report does not state whether the examination result was cancelled, whether candidates were compensated or whether a fresh test was ordered.
NCRA is a research institution located in Pune and operates on the Savitribai Phule Pune University campus. A recruitment examination for a Work Assistant post can attract applicants seeking positions within publicly significant scientific institutions, making the integrity and confidentiality of the process important to candidates and the institution.
The police investigation is continuing. The allegations against Hadwale have not been established in court, and further details about the examination’s outcome, the number of candidates affected and any administrative action remain awaited.
