Nagpur: The Maharashtra HSC paper leak controversy has shifted its epicentre from urban Nagpur to rural taluka of Umred, about 45km away from the city, where the breach appears significantly larger in scale.
Umred police are now at an advanced stage of registering a formal offence on Thursday under malpractice charges after uncovering that almost an entire chemistry question paper — including sequence and structure — was allegedly mirrored in a private tuition class mock test weeks before the official exam on Jan 26 this year.
The Umred development centres on a private tuition institute, owned by Atul Chaudhary, a PhD scholar, which enrolled around 175 students and specialised in JEE, NEET, and coaching for Classes 8 to 12. Chaudhary was rounded up by Umred police for questioning and was likely to be made the key accused, as per a police source.
Investigations in Nagpur city so far revealed that only the MCQ section and one-line/short-answer questions (totalling roughly 18 marks) were leaked and circulated. The offence was registered on Feb 19.
On Jan 26 — more than three weeks before the HSC exams began in Feb — this tuition centre conducted an internal mock test series for its HSC students. Multiple sources confirmed that the chemistry question paper used in the mock was almost identical to the official Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education paper, not just in select portions but across the full set of questions and nearly in the same order. This goes far beyond coincidence and points to possible prior possession of the paper or its master copy, said a source in the inquiry team.
This near-perfect replication immediately raised red flags and was reported to Umred police station.
Police registered the complaint, documented evidence, and 3 days ago formally wrote to the district education department seeking guidance and escalation. A follow-up reminder was sent on Wednesday, pressing for prompt action. The education department indicated it would forward the matter to higher authorities in Mumbai for review and appropriate directions.
Probes in Mankapur, Civil Lines, and exam centres so far established that primarily the MCQ section (usually 1-mark questions) and a few one-liners/short answers — collectively around 18 marks — were photographed and circulated on WhatsApp groups minutes before or shortly after students entered examination halls.
Those leaks led to arrests of tuition classes owners, teachers, school staff, and middlemen, with a special investigation team (SIT) now examining possible wider involvement, including board insiders.
The Umred episode, occurring much earlier and involving a purported full-paper match, suggests the malpractice may have originated or been tested in less-monitored rural tuition set-ups before spreading or being replicated in urban networks. If the allegations are substantiated, the rural case could represent the more serious and foundational breach in the entire scam timeline.
Police in Nagpur rural are intensifying inquiry by questioning Chaudhary and other tuition operators, recording statements from students who appeared for the mock, and attempting to trace the exact source of the mock questions.
The Umred case has also deepened concerns about systemic vulnerabilities in paper-setting, printing, storage, and distribution. The emerging picture indicates that the scam’s true scale and starting point may lie outside the city spotlight — in Umred, said a source.
