Maharashtra TET 2026 paper leak: Mastermind Bijendra Gupta arrested in Bihar; here’s what we know | Today’s news
Bijendra Kumar Gupta, the prime accused in the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak case, has been arrested in Bihar by the Bhiwand police.
News agency ANI reported that the accused was taken to Pune airport from where he will be taken to Bhiwandi.
According to Hindustan Times, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the TET-2026 paper leak in Maharashtra earlier this month arrested three employees of a printing press in Agra for allegedly leaking the test paper during the printing phase. Their arrests brought the total number of people detained in the case to 10.
Quick answers to key questions
•5 QUESTIONS
Bijendra Kumar Gupta has been arrested in Bihar as the mastermind behind the Maharashtra TET 2026 paper leak after an investigation revealed his coordination of the exam paper leak network.
The paper leak led to the postponement of the TET 2026 exam, affecting nearly 6 lakh candidates who were scheduled to take the test.
Ten people were arrested, including three employees of a printing press in Agra who were accused of leaking proof paper during the printing stage.
The exam was postponed due to the discovery of leaked questions just a day before it was to be held, leading to arrests and police intervention.
Yes, tougher measures to increase accountability and deter organized fraud in investigations are being discussed, as suggested by government proposals to change existing laws.
Read also | 32,000 primary school teachers to get their jobs back as Calcutta HC reverses its own judgment
The accused have been identified as Nareshkumar Puranchand Mahore (35), Sanjaykumar Sureshchandra Chandra (44) and Babulal Narayansingh Kushwaha (45). All were brought from Delhi, produced before a Bhiwandi court and remanded in police custody till July 9.
The main accused was absconding at the time, according to the report.
According to the SIT, Mahore allegedly leaked the question paper from the printer and handed it over to former employee Sanjay Kumar Sharma and another absconding accused Sonu Kumar.
Leaked paper delivered to main accused
Investigators claimed the pair later handed over a leaked investigation paper to Bijendra Gupta, who is believed to have masterminded the racket. Police said that Sanjay Kumar Sharma, the former head of packaging at the printing press, had left the company two years ago, while Sonu Kumar had also worked in the same department earlier.
Read also | MAHA TET 2025 Hall Ticket for 23 Nov OUT Exam at mahatet.in; how to download?
Investigators also suspected that the accused used their knowledge of the press process to gain access to confidential question papers. The Hindustan Times quoted public prosecutor Sumit Jadhav as saying, “We have asked the court to remand the accused to find out since when they were associated with the Guptas, the amount they received for leaking documents and to investigate their exact role and involvement in the conspiracy. The court gave us their custody till July 9.”
TET 2026 postponed: What we know
According to news agency PTI, the TET 2026 exam was postponed on June 27, a day before it was scheduled to be held, after police in Thane district found that part of the question paper had been leaked, leading to the arrest of three people.
The TET paper leak, which followed the national scandal caused by the NEET-UG paper leak, affected nearly 6 lakh candidates.
Earlier this month, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified that the TET was postponed last month not because of the paper leak but because of the quick arrest of the accused by the police, rejecting criticism from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Fadnavis said that the revised exam schedule would be announced soon and added that the government would ensure that the TET was conducted smoothly. Responding to Gandhi’s criticism of the state government over the TET paper leak, Fadnavis said the Congress leader often travels abroad and may not have complete information on the matter.
Addressing reporters, he said, “The government acted proactively and arrested the accused in the case, which led to the postponement of the (TET) examination. The immediate action helped avert similar incidents in several states.”
With Gupta now in custody, the SIT is expected to intensify its probe into the wider network of paper leaks.
