The investigation into the alleged leak of the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026 question paper has been expanded, with police expanding the probe beyond Maharashtra after identifying what they believe to be a multi-state network.
Three men arrested before the screening have now been sent to police custody, while two other accused, including the alleged mastermind, remain at large, HT reported earlier.
Below is a timeline of the case based on developments to date.
Saturday: Three accused were arrested before the exam
The case came to light on Saturday, June 27, when Thane police arrested three men from Kungaon village on the outskirts of Bhiwandi.
Read also | Court says Bihar man is leader of Maharashtra TET paper leaks; 3 were sent into police custody
The arrested accused have been identified as Akash Kumar, 30, and Rajeev Shah, 45, both residents of Patna in Bihar, and Dheeraj Kumar, 28, of Panipat in Haryana.
During the operation, the police recovered four sets of TET-2026 question paper. Officials from the Ministry of Education later confirmed that the recovered papers matched the actual question paper prepared for the examination scheduled the next day.
According to the police, the accused allegedly planned to earn money $1.5 crore by selling the leaked papers of the candidates.
Sunday: TET exam postponed
After recovering the question papers, the authorities postponed the Maharashtra TET exam, which was scheduled to be conducted on Sunday.
Read also | Maharashtra teacher recruitment test canceled after raid uncovers paper leak; 3 were arrested
The decision affected more than 6,000 candidates, who were left waiting after the exam was canceled at the last minute.
Three defendants appear before court
The arrested trio was produced before a Bhiwandi court on Sunday.
The prosecution, represented by Assistant Commissioner of Police (Thane Police) Vijay Marathe, sought 10-day remand, arguing that investigators suspect the accused to be part of a multi-state paper leak racket and that teams would need to travel to different states during the investigation.
However, the court ordered the detention of the three accused to be extended for eight days in police custody.
Police have identified the alleged leader and two fugitive accused
During the hearing, the police informed the court that Bijender Gupta, a resident of Bihar, is the alleged leader of the paper leaking gang.
According to police, Gupta was allegedly involved in at least 20 incidents of paper leakage in several states.
Read also | 3 people detained in Bhiwandi due to TET paper leak
The court was also informed that Gupta and Haryana resident Kapil Dahiya, another accused in the case, are absconding and have been declared wanted.
Ashok Dudi, Additional Commissioner of Police, Thane West District, said the investigation is now focusing on tracking down the two men.
The defense requests medical care for one of the accused
During the proceedings, advocate Satender Ridhu, representing accused Dheeraj Kumar, asked the court to direct the police to provide his client with appropriate medical treatment.
Kumar recently underwent bariatric surgery to reduce weight, the lawyer told the court. Thane Police assured the court that he will receive adequate medical care while in custody.
Rideau also argued that his client was wrongly implicated. According to the defence, Kumar was traveling from Delhi to Mumbai by train with his friends when he was arrested.
An SIT was formed to investigate the case
As the investigation expands, Thane Police has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged paper leak.
The Special Investigation Team has been constituted under the leadership of Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Bangaprao Ogli and headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police Pawan Bansode. It includes two assistant commissioners of police, nine inspector-rank officers and 20 other staff.
Bansod said that multiple police teams from Bhiwandi tracked down the three accused and recovered the leaked question papers from them.
