Pune: PMC Clears Paper Leak Allegations, Flags 3 For Malpractice

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has ruled out allegations of a pre-examination question paper leak in its Junior Engineer (Civil) recruitment test. The examination was conducted through IBPS in seven sessions on April 22, 23, and 29, 2026, across centers in seven cities. A total of 41,272 applications were received for 169 posts.

Following the examination, PMC declared the results in June and called 545 candidates for document verification. However, an image showing a question and answer options from the examination was circulated on social media platforms after the document-verification list was published. PMC immediately referred the image to IBPS and ordered an integrity review.

According to PMC, the image was traced to one candidate who appeared in Session 1 on April 23. Investigators matched the question’s position, option sequence, and time remaining on screen with system records and traced it to a particular examination terminal. IBPS then examined the data logs of the 545 candidates called for document verification and compared the response patterns with 4,135 candidates who appeared in the concerned session.

Three candidates, Gajanan Pache, Shivshankar Shelgave, and Vishnukant Waghmare, were flagged for showing a similar pattern of going through almost all questions without answering during the initial 30 minutes, followed by rapid answering. Their response spikes were preceded by washroom visits. CCTV footage was also examined, and the Shivajinagar Police Station has registered a case against the three candidates.

In a separate development, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has put recruitment to 235 posts on hold and appointed a three-member committee to examine complaints over unusually high scores and the merit list. The issues were raised by competitive-exam aspirants before NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar during his visit to Pune. The candidates have sought an independent technical examination of examination records, CCTV footage, and digital audit trails before the recruitment processes are allowed to move ahead.

The controversy has sparked concerns among candidates, who are seeking transparency and fairness in the recruitment process. The PMC and MMRDA have assured that they will take necessary steps to ensure the integrity of the examination process.

The PMC's IBPS report does not conclusively identify the device used by the candidates. The report says the data logs and CCTV footage were examined, but the exact device used could not be determined. The police are investigating the matter further.

In conclusion, the PMC has ruled out allegations of a paper leak, but has identified three candidates for malpractice. The MMRDA has put recruitment on hold pending an investigation into complaints over high scores and the merit list. The candidates are seeking transparency and fairness in the recruitment process, and the authorities have assured that they will take necessary steps to ensure the integrity of the examination process.

The incident highlights the need for vigilance and transparency in recruitment processes to prevent malpractice and ensure fairness. The authorities must take necessary steps to prevent such incidents in the future and maintain the trust of candidates.

The recruitment process is an important aspect of any organization, and it is essential to ensure that it is fair and transparent. The PMC and MMRDA must take necessary steps to prevent malpractice and ensure that the recruitment process is conducted in a fair and transparent manner.

The candidates who have been flagged for malpractice will face further investigation, and necessary action will be taken against them if found guilty. The authorities must ensure that the recruitment process is conducted in a fair and transparent manner, and that candidates are selected based on their merit and qualifications.

In the end, the incident highlights the need for vigilance and transparency in recruitment processes to prevent malpractice and ensure fairness. The authorities must take necessary steps to prevent such incidents in the future and maintain the trust of candidates.