Police probe into claims of MPSC aspirants promised question paper in exchange for money

PUNE: The Pune police have initiated a probe into a complaint submitted by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) to the police commissioner regarding a newspaper’s claims that aspirants were promised the question paper of the Maharashtra Group B Non-Gazetted Services combined preliminary exams 2024 scheduled on February 4 in advance if they paid ₹35 to ₹40 lakh. A phone recording of the conversation between an aspirant and a caller wherein the caller is encouraging the aspirant to accept his offer of providing the question paper in advance in exchange for money has gone viral on social media

Deputy commissioner of police/DCP (crime) Nikhil Pingle said, “The MPSC has approached us, and we are probing the audio phone recording.”

Following the newspaper’s claims, the MPSC issued a release clarifying its position on the matter. The MPSC on Thursday issued a press release stating that some call recordings regarding offers being made to aspirants are in the concerned newspaper’s possession. The MPSC submitted a complaint to the police commissioner as some aspirants received calls wherein they were promised question papers a day before the exam if they paid the quoted money. The MPSC further clarified that all question paper sets remain secure in its custody and urged aspirants not to get distracted but focus on their studies. Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Right to Information (RTI) activist Vijay Kumbhar in a post on X stated, “The destruction of competitive exams in Maharashtra! A black market for MPSC preliminary question papers even before the exam! Just pay ₹40 lakh and secure a government job! Calls are being made in the name of ‘Rohan Consultancy, Nagpur’ with WhatsApp meetings and even demands for original documents. Is this just a phone scam, or is there a bigger racket behind it? Will action be taken against this gang that is destroying the future of hardworking students, or will the government continue to pretend it is asleep as always?” Kumbhar questioned.