Pune Police Register FIR Over Alleged Malpractice in PMC Junior Engineer Recruitment Exam
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 31st August 2026: Shivajinagar police have registered a First Information Report against three candidates, two examination-centre workers and an unidentified person over alleged irregularities in the Pune Municipal Corporation’s recruitment examination for junior engineer (civil) posts.
The FIR was registered on August 28 following a complaint by Kishori Pradeep Todmal, a deputy municipal commissioner in the PMC’s General Administration Department. The complaint relates to an online examination conducted on April 22, April 23 and April 29, 2026, at centres in Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Amravati, Nanded and Kolhapur.
The examination was administered through the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection for the recruitment of junior engineers in the civic body. According to the FIR, a provisional list of eligible candidates was submitted to the PMC on June 8, and the final result was announced on June 9. The subsequent document-verification process was suspended after the civic administration received a complaint concerning an image circulated on social media.
The FIR states that an image containing an examination question was posted on the social-media platform X. After examining the image and other available information, officials allegedly traced the question to the first session of the examination conducted on April 23.
Police have named candidates Gajanan Kailas Pache, Shivshankar Gangadharrao Shelgaave and Vishnukant Karbaji Waghmare in the FIR. Two workers appointed at the examination centre—electrician Yogesh Raju Rathod and washroom-facility employee Vikas Gayakwad—have also been booked. Police are additionally investigating the identity of the person who allegedly circulated the question image on social media.
According to the complaint, an analysis of examination data, candidate-response patterns and CCTV footage allegedly revealed unusual features in the performances of the three candidates. The FIR claims that their marks, time taken to answer questions and answering patterns differed significantly from those of other candidates.
The complaint further alleges that one candidate left the examination room for the washroom more than once during the test. However, the FIR acknowledges that the precise method allegedly used to obtain or transmit answers has not yet been conclusively established.
Officials suspect that the alleged malpractice may have involved capturing or transmitting examination content and obtaining answers from an outside source. The FIR also raises the possibility of unauthorised access to the question paper before or during the examination. These claims remain allegations and are subject to police investigation.
A case has been registered under Sections 318(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relevant provisions of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and Other Specified Examinations Act, 1982, and Sections 3 and 11 of the Maharashtra Competitive Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
Sub-Inspector Pramod Shinde has been assigned to investigate the case.
