Maharashtra TET paper leak: 3 arrested with 4 question sets, probe into larger gang

Police arrested three men in Thane after recovering four sets of alleged Maha TET question papers during a trap operation. The case has prompted a wider probe into a suspected interstate racket and forced the June 28 exam to be postponed.

In Short

• Police acted on tip-off, caught accused who travelled from Delhi, Haryana, Bihar
• Special investigation team formed; fresh exam date to be announced post-probe
• Rs 1.5 crore demand revealed; prime accused absconding, search ongoing

Three persons have been arrested in connection with the alleged Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026 paper leak after police recovered four sets of question papers during a trap operation in the Kongaon area of Thane district, officials said on Saturday.

The arrests come on the day the Maharashtra State Council of Examination (MSCE), Pune, postponed the June 28 TET examination following concerns over a possible question paper leak.

POLICE LAID TRAP AFTER RECEIVING CONFIDENTIAL TIP-OFF

Addressing a press conference, Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Dubey said the breakthrough came after DCP Pawan Bansod (Zone-2) received confidential information that three individuals were arriving to sell the leaked TET examination papers.

Acting on the input, police laid a trap in the Kongaon area and apprehended the three accused at around 11 am on Friday.

During the operation, officials recovered four sets of TET examination papers along with several debit and credit cards from the accused.

The arrested men are aged 45, 28 and 30 years. Police said all three had travelled from Delhi, with one accused being a resident of Haryana and the other two belonging to Bihar.

A case has been registered against them under Sections 318(4), 316(5) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

PRIME ACCUSED ABSCONDING; RS 1.5 CRORE DEMAND REVEALED

Police said preliminary investigations indicate that the examination papers were brought from Delhi.

According to Additional Commissioner Dubey, approximately Rs 1.5 crore had allegedly been demanded in exchange for the leaked papers. Investigators are now trying to identify the intended buyers and determine where the papers were to be sold.

The prime accused in the case remains absconding, and search operations are underway to trace him.

ORGANISED RACKET UNDER SCANNER

Police suspect the involvement of an organised gang in the alleged paper leak and have initiated an investigation into the wider network.

Dubey said strict action would be taken against anyone found to be involved in the case.

To expedite the probe, a special investigation team comprising two Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs) and nine Police Inspectors (PIs) has been constituted. The team will travel to different states as part of the investigation.

Meanwhile, the Examination Council has also launched a parallel enquiry into the matter. MSCE has urged candidates to rely only on official updates published on its website and avoid unverified information circulating on social media. The Council has said a fresh examination date will be announced once the investigation is completed and the situation is fully assessed.

EXAM POSTPONED AFTER SUSPECTED PAPER LEAK

Earlier today, the MSCE announced that the Maharashtra TET 2026 examination had been deferred until further notice after questions linked to the exam were allegedly recovered during a police raid in Bhiwandi.

The Council had said the Education Department was verifying whether the recovered documents were the actual examination papers or merely mock test material. It had also stated that maintaining fairness and transparency in the examination process was its top priority.

Deputy Commissioner of the Examination Council Priya Shinde had assured candidates that they would neither have to register again nor pay any additional fee for the rescheduled examination. She said a fresh examination date would be announced after the investigation, adding that conducting an examination of this scale generally takes around three weeks.

- Ends