Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Minister Narhari Zhirwal has denied any connection between his office and the alleged MPSC-related examination paper leak, saying action would be taken against his special officer Ganesh Devre if he is found guilty. The minister’s remarks came after reports raised questions about alleged links between the leak investigation and his office.
Zhirwal said he was not required to know where Devre lived and maintained that the examination was conducted by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission. “The paper leak and my office have no connection,” he said, according to a report by Loksatta – Mumbai. He added that Devre had been working in his office for about a year and that his performance had been satisfactory.
Devre has denied wrongdoing. He said he was renting accommodation at the residence of an accused person but argued that this did not establish his involvement in the paper leak. Devre also said he had not been questioned in the case, was not absconding and was being unnecessarily defamed by media reports.
The alleged leak concerns an examination for drug inspectors. The Mumbai crime branch has formed a special investigation team to examine 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 candidates before it was broken apart and thrown into Vashi Creek.
Seven people have been arrested in connection with the case, five of them from Nandurbar. The arrested individuals are reported to be related to one another. The investigation, as described in the report, is examining whether the alleged leak was limited to Nandurbar or involved a wider network. No finding of guilt against Devre has been established in the material available for this report.
The minister’s response followed earlier coverage by Loksatta on September 4 under the headline “Paper leak links reach minister’s office”. Devre’s role and his reported residential connection with an accused person have since become central to demands for further inquiry.
Opposition leaders have called for the minister to be questioned and for an impartial investigation. Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut has demanded an inquiry into Zhirwal’s role, while Maharashtra Congress legislature party leader Vijay Wadettiwar has sought an independent probe.
The report also refers to an earlier Anti-Corruption Bureau raid at the minister’s ministry office in February, during which a clerk, Raju Dherang, was arrested while allegedly accepting a bribe. Zhirwal had then said Dherang belonged to the Food and Civil Supplies Department. Loksatta reported that several personnel working in the minister’s office had been deputed from other departments. Zhirwal has said Devre was being sent back to his parent department.
The crime branch’s special investigation team is continuing to examine the recovered laptop, the arrested suspects and the alleged transmission of the question paper. Further findings from the investigation will determine whether the allegations extend beyond the individuals already arrested.
