Pune Police have arrested three individuals in connection with a case relating to phone calls asking aspirants to pay Rs 40 lakh in return for the question paper of the Maharashtra Group-B (Non-Gazetted) Services Combined Preliminary Examination 2024, officials said on Saturday.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Deepak Gayaram Gaydhane (26), Sumit Kailas Jadhav (23) and Yogesh Surendra Waghmare, they added.

According to the police, Dr Suvarna Kharat, secretary of MPSC, lodged the first information report (FIR) in this case at the Bund Garden Police Station on Friday.

Speaking about the case, Nikhil Pingle, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), said, "Some students from Pune received calls on their mobile phones from a person claiming to be an employee of 'Rohan Consultancy' in Nagpur, who offered to provide them with question papers for the exam on payment of Rs 40 lakh. One such audio clip of the phone call went viral on social media. Later, the crime branch officials launched a probe."

"Based on technical analysis, police arrested Gaydhane, a resident of Bhandara district, and Jadhav of Nashik district, from Chakan in Pune. Further investigation revealed that Gaydhane and Jadhav are factory workers who got hold of a list of 24 candidates appearing for the exam from Waghmare, a resident of Nagpur, on January 24. After getting the list, the duo then contacted at least two candidates," Pingle added.

He stated that a team of the Crime Branch was sent to Nagpur to arrest Waghmare, and in coordination with Nagpur Police, he was arrested and handed over to the Pune Police.

"An investigation is ongoing to find out where the accused got the list of candidates appearing for the exam. We are one hundred per cent sure a few more suspects will be arrested soon," Pingle concluded.

The trio has been booked under sections 62, 318(4), 353(1), and 353(1)(b) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and sent to police custody until February 7.