MUMBAI:  Days after the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) cancelled the recruitment process for Drug Inspector Group-B posts, the Mumbai Police Crime Branch on Tuesday apprehended Rutuja Patil, the seventh rank-holder and also a key accused in the examination scandal.

Patil was taken into custody by the Crime Branch team from Nandurbar.

The Mumbai Police have till date already arrested six persons, including three MPSC officials, in connection with alleged question paper leak of the Drug Inspector screening exams, held earlier this year.

The examinations, held under the Food and Drug Administration Department were revoked, following a preliminary inquiry into alleged malpractice in the screening procedure.

According to the police, as per its preliminary investigations, a candidate received the question set before examinations and benefited from it.

Subsequently, the MPSC taking into consideration the seriousness of findings, decided to cancel the recruitment process.

The complainants who approached the police, claimed that some of the candidates got access to question papers before the examinations and social media and other electronic means were used for sourcing them to prospective buyers.

The 25-year-old Rutuja Patil, taken into custody today, had recently admitted about a plan to cover-up the irregularities in the MPSC exams.

She told reporters that she was instructed to give wrong answers for 10 questions in the exam meant for Drug Inspectors held on March 22 this year. She was told by other accused that if she answered all 100 questions right, it would raise suspicion.

Patil had scored seventh rank on the provisional merit list for the MPSC exam.

The leaked question paper was handed over to Rujuta Patil, allegedly through her father, who received it from other channels. She gave the set of papers to her boyfriend Gaurav Patil on March 20, two days before the examination on March 22.

The lid over the paper leak apparently blew off as the two had a fallout over some issues and the boyfriend turned 'whistleblower'.

Rujuta's boyfriend Gaurav revealed digital evidences of the questions to the police, sent by his ex-girlfriend with the MPSC.

The police began probe into the case and found out the truth.

At least six people were arrested, including MPSC officer bearers.