Pune: Candidate Booked For Sharing NCRA Exam Paper Photos On WhatsApp

Pune: A candidate who appeared for the Work Assistant recruitment examination conducted by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) has been booked for allegedly photographing the question paper on his mobile phone and sharing the images with others via WhatsApp.

The accused has been identified as Vivek Baban Hadawale (40), a resident of NCRA Colony in Pune. Vaibhav Pandurang Sherkar (35), a resident of Badlapur in Kalyan, lodged a complaint at Chaturshringi police station.

According to the police, the incident took place on May 23, 2025, while the recruitment examination was underway at the NCRA examination centre in Pune. Hadawale allegedly managed to carry his mobile phone into the examination hall, photograph the original question paper and send the images via WhatsApp to individuals outside the centre.

The alleged act resulted in the unauthorised disclosure of confidential examination material belonging to a Central Government research institution.

Following an inquiry at the senior level, the police registered a case on the evening of October 26, 2026.

A case has been registered against the accused under Sections 316(2) and 316(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, in connection with the alleged violation of applicable laws.

Senior Police Inspector Uttam Bhajanawale visited the examination centre to inspect the site in view of the seriousness of the case. Further investigation is being conducted by the Chaturshringi police.