Maharashtra TET Paper Leak Mastermind Arrested in Bihar, Total Arrests Rise to 14

The investigation into the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026 paper leak has gathered fresh momentum after police arrested the alleged mastermind of the racket and his close associate from Bihar, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 14.

According to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), Vijayendrakumar alias Bijendra Kumar Gupta, believed to be the key coordinator of the inter-state paper leak network, and his associate Indrajit Singh were arrested from Samastipur in Bihar after weeks of surveillance. The duo was brought to Maharashtra and produced before a local court in Bhiwandi, which remanded them to police custody until July 30.

Investigators believe Gupta played a crucial role in coordinating the leak across multiple states. With his arrest, officials expect to uncover the financial network behind the operation, including details of payments, beneficiaries and the distribution of proceeds generated through the illegal sale of question papers.

The case first surfaced on June 27, when Bhiwandi police, acting on confidential intelligence, raided a location and recovered unauthorised copies of the TET question paper. Verification by the Maharashtra State Council of Examination (MSCE) confirmed that the seized papers matched the actual examination paper scheduled for June 28 at 1,028 centres across the state.

Following the discovery, the Maharashtra government postponed the examination, registered an FIR and constituted a Special Investigation Team to probe the leak.

Police have already arrested several accused, including individuals allegedly linked to the printing process. Investigators claim the racket operated through employees at a private printing press, who allegedly exploited access to confidential examination papers and conspired to leak and sell them before the test.

Officials say some of the accused had travelled to Pune to market the leaked papers to prospective buyers. Preliminary findings indicate the operation functioned as an organised criminal syndicate with deep-rooted links within the printing network.

The SIT has identified additional suspects and is conducting raids to apprehend them. Investigators believe the latest arrests could help expose the complete conspiracy, including everyone involved in leaking, distributing and profiting from the examination papers.