Overview
- Police identified the suspect as Chaitanya Vinod Shende, 18, who was detained in Chandrapur and brought to Pune for interrogation.
- He allegedly uploaded a password‑protected PDF before the exam, offered access for ₹600, took payments, blocked buyers, then replaced the file with the actual paper after the test, preserving the original timestamp with an Edited label.
- Officers said this Telegram manipulation falsely suggested the Mathematics Part‑1 and Part‑2 papers were shared ahead of the March 6 and March 9 exams.
- An FIR lodged on March 9 named the 'Maharashtraleakers' Telegram group under the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices Act, sections 72 and 66 of the IT Act, and relevant BNS sections.
- Police said the scam appears to have yielded ₹10,000–₹12,000, and the investigation continues to verify digital evidence and identify further victims or accomplices.