GA Software Technologies director among three held for Mhada prelims question paper leak

Pune: Policenama online –  Close on the heels of the action against persons involved in leaking the state health department question paper, the Pune cyber police have acted against those involved in the Mhada prelims question paper leak case. Three persons have been arrested in this connection.

Among the arrested is the director of the company GA Software Technologies Pvt Ltd, which was responsible for conducting the exam. The accused were produced before the Shivajinagar court, which remanded them in police custody till December 18. Commissioner of Police Amitabh Gupta revealed this in a press meet on Sunday.

Dr Pritish Diliprao Deshmukh (32), a resident of Pimpri Chinchwad, Santosh Laxman Harkal (42), a resident of Aurangabad, and Ankush Rambhau Harkal (44), a resident of Buldana, have been arrested.

According to CP Amitabh Gupta, the Pune police got a tip-off that the Mhada prelims question paper was being leaked. The tip-off was received when the Pune cyber police were investigating the earlier question paper leak of the health department’s category C and D posts recruitment exam.

On the basis of the information, police teams were sent to Aurangabad, Jalna, Beed, Mumbai, Pune, and Thane, from where suspects were arrested.

The police got inputs that Target Career Point director Ajay Chavan, Saksham Academy director Krishna Jadhav and others were in touch with a suspect in Aurangabad. They were planning to leak the question paper for monetary gains. The police also came to know that Santosh Harkal and Ankush Harkal were ready to give the question paper to candidates.

The police arrested Chavan, Jadhav and their aide Ankit Chankhore. When they were frisked, they found on their person Mhahda prelim admit cards of three students, their original educational certificates, blank cheques, a list of 35 candidates writing the health departments recruitment exam for the C and D category posts and copies of their admit cards. Hence, they were arrested and an offence was registered against them.

Police teams from Pune and Thane monitored the movements of Santosh and Ankush Harkal and held them from a car (MH20EL7111). Dr Deshmukh was accompanying them. When Deshmukh was frisked, Mhada written exam question papers were found stored on his laptop and a pen drive in an envelope was also recovered, where Mhada written exam paper sets were stored.

Mobile phones belonging to Santosh and Ankush Harkal had suspicious conversations about the Mhada exam and admit cards of candidates writing the health department exam. An offence has been filed against them at the Pune cyber police station.

This action was taken under the guidance of CP Amitabh Gupta, Joint CP Dr Ravindra Shisve, Addl CP Ramnath Pokale, DCP Bhagyashree Navatake, ACP Vijaykumar Palsule. PI Kumar Ghadge, PSI Meenal Patil and PSI Anil Dafal took the action. PSI Ankush Chintaman is investigating the matter further.

Adv Vijay Thombre represented Dr Pritish Deshmukh while Adv Hrishikesh Subhedar, Adv Prasad Nikam and Adv Tanmay Deo argued on behalf of Ankush and Santosh Harkal.

Coaching classes on the police radar

The police have till date busted big rackets related to the military recruitment exam, the health department exam and the Mhada exam. The police have found linkages between the health department and Mhada question paper leaks. The court has remanded the accused in police custody. The police will thoroughly investigate the matter, said CP Gupta in the press conference.
The police have found involvement of many coaching classes in this racket. Owners of such coaching institutes will be interrogated. It was learnt.

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