The Maharashtra TET paper leak allegedly began at an Agra printing press, with exam papers hidden inside shoe insoles.
How were the TET papers allegedly smuggled out?
According to a chargesheet filed by Thane police, the confidential Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test material was allegedly removed from Mahim Patran Pvt Ltd, an Agra-based printing press entrusted with producing the examination papers.
Investigators alleged that between June 15 and 17, two employees and a former staff member concealed folded question papers inside their shoe insoles while leaving the premises. Security guards allegedly frisked their clothes but did not inspect their footwear, allowing the papers to be taken outside.
The chargesheet states that the employees were allegedly paid ₹8,000 each and promised plots of land in Agra in return for stealing the papers.
Four separate sets had been prepared for the two TET papers to maintain confidentiality and enable one set to be selected on examination day. Investigators alleged that all four sets were nevertheless removed from the printing press.
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How did police uncover the alleged leak?
The alleged racket came to light on June 27, a day before the TET was scheduled. Deputy Commissioner of Police Pavan Bansod received information that three men were allegedly attempting to sell question papers to a Bhiwandi resident.
Police subsequently deployed decoy personnel and laid a trap in Kongaon, where the suspects were detained. Four sets of question papers were recovered during the operation.
Officials of the Maharashtra State Council of Examination later verified that the seized material matched the actual TET paper. The examination, which had been scheduled for June 28, was subsequently postponed.
Police have booked the accused under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy, along with Maharashtra laws concerning examination malpractice. A special investigation team is probing the case.
Who has been named in the chargesheet?
The chargesheet, filed before a Bhiwandi court, names 18 accused. Sixteen have been arrested, while Ashok Sav and Prakash Misal remain absconding, according to police.
Investigators have identified Bijendra Gupta, a former coaching-class teacher, as the alleged mastermind. Police said he had previously been implicated in another examination paper leak in Odisha.
The chargesheet sets out how investigators allegedly traced the movement of the leaked material from the printing press to people accused of attempting to sell the papers in Maharashtra.
It also cites money trails, technical evidence and the recovery of an original question paper from the Bihar residence of a relative of Gupta as evidence in the alleged supply chain. Police said a supplementary chargesheet would be filed as the investigation continues.
What does the chargesheet allege about the operation?
The police case portrays the alleged leak as a chain beginning with the removal of confidential papers from the printing facility and extending to their attempted sale before the examination.
The allegation that papers were concealed in shoe insoles is central to the account of how the confidential material left the press. Investigators have also relied on the recovery of all four sets during the subsequent police operation.
The case remains under investigation, with the special investigation team examining the alleged network and police preparing further chargesheet material. The allegations against those named will be tested through the legal process.
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