Pune: A case of question paper leakage has come to light in connection with a recruitment examination conducted by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) in Pune city of Maharashtra.
The Chaturshringi Police have registered a case against NCRA employee Vivek Baban Hadwale (40) under the Official Secrets Act after the paper was allegedly circulated on WhatsApp a day before the exam.
A written test for the post of ‘Work Assistant’ was held on May 24, 2025, at the NCRA centre located on the Savitribai Phule Pune University campus.
Information about the leak reached the vigilance department of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai through a confidential source in June 2026 — nearly 13 months after the examination.
According to the complaint filed by Vaibhav Pandurang Sherkar (35), a vigilance officer at TIFR, he met the confidential source on July 31, 2026.
During the meeting, the source claimed that on May 23, 2025, at around 7:15 am — one day before the exam — he had received the complete question paper on WhatsApp from the mobile phone of Vivek Hadwale.
The source handed over a printed copy of the question paper along with screenshots of the WhatsApp conversation. Sherkar also took photographs of the source’s mobile screen using his own phone. These images clearly showed the pattern and content of the question paper. In a subsequent interaction, the source reiterated that it was Hadwale who had sent the paper.
The vigilance department compared the leaked question paper with the original official paper and found them to be identical.
Following this verification, Sherkar lodged a formal complaint with the police. Acting on the complaint, the Chaturshringi Police have registered a case against Vivek Baban Hadwale under Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Sections 316(2) and 316(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police are currently investigating the matter further to determine the full extent of the leakage and any other persons who may have been involved.
(IANS)
