Against the backdrop of the nationwide debate over exam paper leaks, Punjab has been grappling with its own controversy following the July 19 Pharmacy Officer recruitment examination for 454 posts conducted by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences.Punjab Police busted an alleged inter-state cheating racket, recovering pen cameras, Bluetooth earpieces and other electronic devices. Police maintained there was no evidence of the question paper leaking before the examination, describing it instead as a real-time technology-enabled cheating operation in which candidates allegedly transmitted questions after the exam began.Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that “not a single competitive examination paper has been leaked” during his government’s tenure. However, Opposition parties, including the Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal, along with Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, claimed Punjab has witnessed six major paper leak or examination malpractice incidents since 2022, citing recruitment and board examinations.#WATCH | Ludhiana, Punjab: BJP State President, Punjab, Kewal Singh Dhillon says, “… The Central Government is handling the paper leak issue with the utmost priority and seriousness. The matter has now been moved to a fast-track court, with an increased punishment of 10 years’… pic.twitter.com/iLYze8LIMc— ANI (@ANI) July 26, 2026Facts, dates and key quotesPharmacy Officer Recruitment ExamJuly 19, 2026Recruitment for 454 Pharmacy Officer posts conducted by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS).Nearly 7,000 candidates appeared.Punjab Police busted an alleged inter-state cheating racket during the examination.Police recovered hidden pen cameras, Bluetooth earpieces and wireless communication devices.Investigation found candidates allegedly photographed question papers after the exam had begun and transmitted them outside for answers.Punjab Police position”There was no evidence of a question paper leak before the examination.”Police termed it a real-time cheating racket, not a pre-exam paper leak.Punjab Police have maintained that the question paper was not leaked before the examination and have described the incident as a technology-enabled cheating racket operating in real time.Opposition alleges multiple paper leaksFollowing the pharmacy exam controversy, Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal allegedly claimed Punjab had witnessed at least six paper leak or examination malpractice incidents since the AAP government came to power in 2022.Bhagwant Mann’s statementPunjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said: “Not a single competitive examination paper has been leaked during the last four-and-a-half years.”He rejected allegations that Punjab had witnessed paper leaks during his tenure.Swati Maliwal attacks Punjab governmentRajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal said:”There have been six major paper leaks in Punjab over the past five years.”She demanded resignation of Punjab’s Education Minister and criticised the AAP leadership over the issue.भगवंत मान ने ख़ुद मंच से केजरीवाल जी के सामने क़बूला था कि पंजाब में पेपर लीक हुआ है। ट्वीट करके भी दुनिया को बता रहे थे।आज खुला झूठ बोल रहे हैं कि कोई पेपर लीक नहीं हुआ। उस समय नशे में सच बोला या आज नशे में झूठ बोल रहे हैं?सच्चाई ये है कि 5 साल में पंजाब में 6 पेपर लीक और… pic.twitter.com/BsuMi9m4Je— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) July 29, 2026The six incidents cited by OppositionAccording to opposition parties and media reports, these include:Naib Tehsildar recruitment examination (2022) — dummy candidates and electronic cheating allegations; exam later cancelled.SSSB Group-B Officers recruitment examinationAgriculture Development Officer recruitment examinationPSEB Class XII English examination controversyPharmacy Officer recruitment examination (2026)What police said regarding July 19 pharmacy examination:No evidence of paper leak before examinationCheating occurred after the exam commencedUse of:Pen camerasBluetooth devicesWireless communication gadgetsInterstate network allegedly involved.Political disputeAAP government said no competitive exam paper leaked in Punjab during its tenure.Pharmacy case involved cheating, not a paper leak.While the opposition alleged that several recruitment and board examinations suffered paper leaks or serious examination malpractices. “Government is trying to distinguish between “paper leak” and “cheating” to avoid accountability,” they alleged.