Maharashtra TET Paper Leak: Inter-State Racket Busted, SIT Investigates
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the leak of the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) question paper has uncovered evidence pointing to an inter-State racket. Of the three arrested accused, two are from Bihar and one from Haryana, indicating a network spanning multiple states.
The three suspects—Rajiv Shah, Akash Kumar, and Dheeraj Kumar—are currently in police custody. Authorities are investigating whether the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) can be applied to the case.
The breakthrough came from a tip-off on June 27 about an attempt to sell the TET question paper in Bhiwandi. Police laid a trap in the Kongaon area and apprehended the accused. Seized items included mobile phones, debit and credit cards, cash, and four physical copies of the TET question paper intended for the June 28 examination. Officials from the Maharashtra State Council of Examinations (MSCE) confirmed the seized papers matched the originals.
A case has been registered at Kongaon Police Station under the Thane City Police Commissionerate. The accused are charged under Sections 318(4), 316(5), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 11(1)(2)(3) and 12(1)(2) of the Maharashtra Competitive Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and Sections 6 and 8 of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at Universities, Boards and Other Specified Examinations Act, 1982.
Police teams have been dispatched to Bihar, Haryana, and Delhi as the investigation widens.
In response to the leak, MSCE Deputy Commissioner Priya Shinde assured candidates that a re-test would be scheduled and that no additional registration or fee would be required.
Opposition parties have called for the resignation of School Education Minister Dada Bhuse over the incident. Bhuse announced that a committee headed by the Chief Secretary would be formed to explore conducting the TET and other state-level examinations online to prevent future leaks.
