Mumbai/Pune, Oct 12: In a major development surrounding the alleged Maharashtra Public Service Commission paper leak controversy, MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar has announced his decision to proceed on leave until the state-ordered judicial inquiry into the matter is completed.

The decision came around 1.24 a.m. on Monday, after the Maharashtra government, late Sunday night, constituted an inquiry panel. It appointed senior IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe as its Secretary to thoroughly overhaul the Commission’s examination processes and investigate allegations of paper leaks and administrative irregularities.

Following these dual announcements, competitive exam aspirants in Pune called off their 11-day-long street protest.

In his post on X, MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar emphasised his commitment to transparency and administrative integrity. “The state government has announced a judicial inquiry into the MPSC paper leak case. Throughout my entire life, I have always prioritised ethics. Therefore, I have decided to go on leave during this period instead of continuing to serve in the post until this inquiry is completed. The autonomy, credibility, and interests of students of the MPSC have always been my priority, and they will continue to be so in the future. Jai Hind! Jai Maharashtra,” he said.

The decision came following a marathon midnight meeting between state Public Works Minister Shivendra Raje Bhosale, political leaders, and a delegation of protesting students. In a gesture of goodwill after the breakthrough, the protesting aspirants applauded and expressed gratitude to the police officers deployed at the site.

Minister Shivendra Raje Bhosale, along with leaders like MLAs Rohit Pawar and Vishwajeet Kadam, held extensive positive discussions with the students, assuring them that the state stands with them.

To address systemic flaws and recommend comprehensive administrative reforms in the MPSC, the state government has proposed a high-level inquiry and review committee headed by former Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, Justice Dilip Bhosale.

The Committee’s members include Former Justice P.D. Naik, Senior Administrative Officer Tukaram Mundhe (who will also serve as the Committee Secretary), Retired Secretary Ganesh Patil and Inspector General of Police Lakhmi Gautam. The committee has been tasked with studying structural flaws in MPSC operations and submitting a detailed reform report within two months.

Thousands of competitive exam candidates, under the banner of various student rights organisations, had been staging demonstrations near Navi Peth and SM Joshi Bridge in Pune for over a week.

With the government conceding to key demands, including setting up an independent probe and the step-down of top leadership, the agitators announced late Sunday that the protest stands temporarily suspended.

NCP(SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who participated in the protest alongside the students, welcomed the government’s concessions. While maintaining that the primary demand was the Chairman’s resignation, he stated that the government ultimately met the core demands and successfully established a high-level committee to overhaul the commission.

Speaking to the media, Rohit Pawar remarked, “Although it was delayed, the government has accepted the students’ demands. While our primary demand was a resignation, keeping the students’ examinations in mind, we decided to suspend the agitation. This victory belongs to the unity of the students.”

He also announced that he will now proceed on a tour of drought-affected regions in Vidarbha.

Rohit Pawar acknowledged that while the government did not force an immediate resignation — sending Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar on leave instead — they stepped back significantly to meet the students’ grievances. “The children took one step back, but the government took ten steps back,” he noted.

He praised the unprecedented solidarity shown by aspirants in Pune, alongside leaders and supporters like Pramod Patil, who backed the movement. He emphasised that the administration has been given a strict timeframe to implement improvements, warning that accountability will remain a priority.

Mumbai, Oct 12: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday raised questions over the recent MPSC student protests, asking whether the movement was truly meant to address student grievances or served as a launchpad for NCP(SP) MLA Rohit Pawar’s political ambitions.

The BJP MLA Vikram Pachpute, who was instrumental in organising a meeting of agitating MPSC aspirants with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to find a way out, expressed gratitude to the CM for addressing student concerns with sensitivity and holding discussions with student representatives for the fourth time to find a constructive solution.

However, he challenged Rohit Pawar to clarify what the students ultimately gained from the protests and who benefited politically.

Addressing the core of the controversy, Pachpute stated that while CM Fadnavis accepted most student demands on September 30, the demand for the resignation of the MPSC chairperson did not fall directly under the state government’s jurisdiction. “If the Chief Minister had the direct authority to dismiss the Chairman, he would have taken appropriate action much earlier. Even though there are constitutional limitations, Rohit Pawar insisted on continuing the protest,” he said.

He questioned the rationale behind keeping the agitation alive after the primary demands had already been met, noting that a clear divide eventually emerged between genuine students and political activists participating in the movement.

Referring to the legal and institutional aspects, Pachpute explained that state governments do not have the direct power to remove the chairperson of a constitutional body like the MPSC, as it requires a specific procedure under Article 317 of the Constitution.

“The government adopted a constitutional approach. Once the judicial inquiry process began, the chairperson went on leave. Had a positive approach towards the inquiry process been accepted on September 30 itself, the subsequent conflict could have been avoided, eliminating the need for such a massive uproar,” he added.

Pachpute accused certain political figures of attempting to sensationalise the issue by inviting various politicians, influential personalities, and artists to the protest platform. He alleged that the focus shifted from solving student problems to gaining personal publicity and political mileage.

To illustrate his point on misplaced priorities, Pachpute offered a cautionary analogy for students, warning them not to get distracted by political agendas at the expense of their careers and studies. “Students prepare and struggle to become officers through competitive exams, not to serve as stepping stones for political leaders,” he asserted. “Rohit Pawar must now give a straightforward answer — what did the students actually get from this protest, and who reaped the political benefits?” he asked.

Pachpute’s reaction comes hours after the agitating MPSC aspirants called off their 11-day protest in Pune, demanding MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar’s resignation in connection with paper leaks after the state government announced the formation of a high-level committee headed by retired Bombay High Court judge Justice Dilip Bhosale to study structural flaws in MPSC operations and submit a detailed reform report within two months. Subsequently, MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar at 1.24 a.m. on Monday announced on X that he is going on leave until the probe is completed.

Rohit Pawar remarked, “Although it was delayed, the government has accepted the students’ demands. While our primary demand was a resignation, keeping the students’ examinations in mind, we decided to suspend the agitation. This victory belongs to the unity of the students.”

Pawar acknowledged that while the government did not force an immediate resignation — sending Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar on leave instead — they stepped back significantly to meet the students’ grievances. “The children took one step back, but the government took ten steps back,” he noted.

He praised the unprecedented solidarity shown by aspirants in Pune, alongside leaders and supporters like Pramod Patil, who backed the movement. He emphasised that the administration has been given a strict timeframe to implement improvements, warning that accountability will remain a priority.

Mumbai, Oct 11: The final post-mortem report in the death case of veteran actor Nana Patekar has clarified the cause of death to be natural. A team of doctors at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Bambolim, in its report, has clarified that his death was a natural death, caused by a massive heart attack.

It was confirmed by the Goa Police to media. As per the police, the family has also been informed about the report and the family has also agreed to the medical report and has not raised any objection so far.

As per the final post-mortem report by GMC, the blood supply to the heart was stopped due to a blood clot in the main coronary artery, which led to a cardiac arrest. At around 2:30 am on October 8, the actor informed his family friend about his ill health on WhatsApp, after which he was brought to Manipal Hospital, Dona Paula, where doctors declared him dead even after about 45 minutes of CPR .

For the unversed, the Panaji police had registered a case of unnatural death under section 194 of the BNSS under UD No. 62/2026. Now that the post-mortem has confirmed natural death and ruled out any foul play by son Malhar Patekar and nephew Prasad Patekar, the case will be closed soon.

The late actor Nana Patekar was cremated with full state honours at his farmhouse in Donje in Pune district on Thursday. The actor was given a 3-gun salute.

The late actor’s friends and members of the film fraternity including Jackie Shroff, directors Anil Sharma, Aneez Bazmee, and producer Firoz nadiadwala arrived at Donje village to attend the last rites of Nana Patekar.

A huge crowd also turned up to bid adieu to the departed soul. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also paid his last respects to Nana Patekar at Pune airport before leaving for Mumbai. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde went to the actor’s Pune farmhouse to pay his respects.