TET paper-leak scam: What it's all about, how Maharashtra police busted it

The Maharashtra State Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) is probing an inter-state paper leak case involving accused persons suspected of involvement in similar paper leak cases in other states in connection with the State Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), which was postponed after the alleged leak came to light.

What is Maharashtra TET?

The Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test is an exam that assesses candidates’ knowledge in subjects such as Mathematics, Science and Languages for teaching roles. According to the Right to Education Act, it is mandatory for the recruitment of primary school teachers for grades I to VIII. class. As per the guidelines issued by the National Council for Teacher Education, each state conducts its own TET. In Maharashtra, the exam is conducted by the Maharashtra State Council of Examination, headquartered in Pune.

Why was the exam postponed and how many applicants were affected?

The exam was scheduled to take place on June 28. However, on the eve of the exam, the Maharashtra State Board of Examinations postponed it after a police investigation found that the documents were allegedly leaked.

Last-minute cancellations affected more than six million candidates. The exam was to be held in 1028 centers across 37 cities in Maharashtra.

When is the next exam and will there be a new fee?

The new examination date has not yet been announced. Officials said it would be announced soon. The state government said applicants may not have to re-register or pay any additional fees to appear for the exam.

What is a paper leak scam?

Acting on a tip-off, the Thane police laid a trap last week and arrested three accused who were allegedly trying to sell exam papers for ₹1.5 crore. Police received information that a group of men were trying to sell papers in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Solapur, Nagpur and Indore. This information is still being verified as part of the ongoing investigation.

According to the police, two separate groups of men arrived in Bhiwandi during the last weekend of June to allegedly sell four Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) papers, apparently unknown to each other but believed to be operating under the same kingpin. They allegedly planned to target coaching courses and sell the papers for ₹1.5 million, charging individual candidates around ₹1.5 million each.

During the investigation, the police used a decoy to impersonate the buyer. The accused allegedly showed the inquiry paper during the video call and then proceeded to negotiate its sale. After verifying the authenticity of the seized material, the police arrested three persons: Rajeev Shriprayag Shaw (Bihar), Akash Kumar Swaraj Kumar (Bihar), Dheeraj Balraj Singh (Haryana). One of Dheeraj’s associates, Kapil Dahiya (Haryana), reportedly managed to escape and remains absconding.

How many people are booked so far?

The Thane police have so far registered a First Information Report (FIR) against five persons. Three of them were arrested. A Look Out Circular (LOC) has been issued against the two absconding accused.

One of the absconding accused is suspected to be the mastermind of the alleged paper leak scam and is also suspected to be involved in similar scams in other states.

All the accused hail from Bihar and Haryana. Initially, the police investigating the case found it difficult to believe that people from Delhi, Bihar and Haryana were selling exam papers for the Maharashtra-based examination. Investigations have so far pointed to one Bijendar Kumar Baleshwar Kumar Saha, a resident of Patna, Bihar, as the alleged mastermind of the scam. He is believed to have managed two different teams of men who traveled to Thane to sell the newspapers. Unbeknownst to each other, the two teams were in direct contact with Bijendar, who allegedly booked their flights and local transport and stayed in constant touch with them through audio and video calls.

Police are investigating the accused’s links to similar scams in other states. Officials investigating the case said Bijendra Kumar was allegedly involved in the Odisha paper leak scam in 2024. They also suspect him to be involved in other paper leak cases, including the NEET scam, a senior officer said.

Why do the police suspect a larger circle of networks?

The police suspect a larger network because of the way the Maharashtra TET question papers were processed and distributed. The question papers are being printed in Agra, where, according to the police, the papers for the next examination are also being printed. Investigators are looking into the possible locations of the paper leak and the likelihood of a connection between the various groups.

According to investigations so far, the Maharashtra State Board of Examinations (MSCE) has signed a contract with Mahim Patram Private Limited, an Agra-based company registered in Delhi, to print the TET papers. Police said the company has been handling similar jobs for the past 60 years.

As per the procedure, MSCE will hand over the sealed question papers to the company about two months before the examination. These papers are then printed according to security protocols and transported to the investigation centers.

The police are investigating the possibility of a leak at any stage of the above process, which has been going on for more than two months. “After handing over the sealed papers, MSCE or Maharashtra Education Department officials are not present during the printing or monitoring of the papers,” the police said.

Police teams are also probing the possibility of leakage while transporting the sealed papers to the investigative cities. In this case, the collection papers carry serial numbers from Latur, Jalna and Washim centres. Each center has a different serial number. This is a safety measure to help identify the source of a leak should it occur.

So far, 10 different teams have been formed by the SIT to investigate the case. These teams traveled to four states including Haryana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. Some teams also visited Latur, Jalna and Washim in Maharashtra.

Joint Commissioner of Police Thane Punjabrao Ugale along with DCP Pavan Bansod are conducting the investigation. It is being conducted under the leadership of Thane Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dubmare and Additional CP Ashok Dudhe.

The Maharashtra government is considering using stringent provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) against the accused in the case.

Is this the first time scam has hit Maharashtra TET?

This is not the first time that Maharashtra TET has come under scrutiny. In 2022, the Pune police conducted an investigation and alleged that the marks of more than 7,800 candidates were manipulated and changed in exchange for money. Several people, including an IAS officer, have been arrested in the case. The names of the children of a high-ranking politician were also listed as beneficiaries of the scam. However, the leader strongly denied the accusations against his children. It is currently associated with the Shiv Sena, which is part of the ruling Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra, along with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Nationalist Congress Party.

What is the demand of the opposition?

The opposition demanded the resignation of Maharashtra Education Minister Dada Bhuse. They staged a walkout during the monsoon session of the Maharashtra Assembly for this demand.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has described the incident as “stealing the future of the youth” and says the country’s education and examination system has turned into an extortion system, leaving young people insecure.

Published – 30 Jun 2026 15:16 IST