Mastermind of Maharashtra TET Paper Leak Arrested Under Fake Identity in Bihar
Thane City Police have arrested Bijendra Gupta, the alleged mastermind behind the massive Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak, from Bihar. Gupta had been living under a false identity for nearly a month while on the run. The leak, which compromised the exam just two days before it was scheduled, has left nearly 600,000 aspirants in limbo and sparked widespread protests demanding the resignation of the state's School Education Minister.
SIT Tracks Down Fugitive Mastermind in Bihar
THANE: In a major breakthrough, the Thane City Police on Saturday morning arrested Bijendra Gupta, a former coaching class teacher and the alleged mastermind behind the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) question paper leak. Gupta, who faces multiple paper leak charges, had been evading law enforcement for nearly a month by hiding under a false identity in Bihar.
Confirming the arrest, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II) Dr. Pawan Bansod stated, "Today morning we arrested him from Bihar. We are bringing him to Thane and will produce him before the court to seek his custody."
While the kingpin is now in custody, the police are actively tracking down several other suspects—specifically individuals who allegedly agreed to buy the leaked question papers—who have since gone underground.
Inside the Insole Leak: How the Paper Was Stolen for ₹8,000
The investigation, spearheaded by a specially constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT), has uncovered a startlingly low-tech smuggling operation at the heart of the conspiracy.
The leak was traced back to an Agra-based printing press, Mahim Patran Pvt Ltd. According to investigators, Gupta allegedly cultivated two current employees and one former employee of the press, paying them a meager ₹8,000 to smuggle out copies of the highly confidential question paper. The employees reportedly slipped the documents inside their shoe insoles to bypass security.
Maharashtra has historically printed its exam papers out-of-state to maintain strict confidentiality, with only the head of the examination council knowing the printing location. The state had previously outsourced the TET to a private agency in 2017 but reverted to the out-of-state printing system after a prior TET leak in 2021. With this system now compromised, the School Education Department is urgently reviewing alternative security measures.
Six Lakh Aspirants in Limbo Amid Escalating Protests
The paper leak came to light just two days before the examination after a tip-off from a resident in Bhiwandi, who was approached by individuals attempting to sell the exam papers. Subsequent police raids caught the suspects red-handed with the papers, leading to the initial arrests of Rajiv Kumar and Aakash Kumar from Bihar, and Dheeraj Singh from Haryana.
The cancellation of the exam has thrown the future of roughly 600,000 teaching aspirants into uncertainty. As the state government delays announcing a fresh examination date, student organizations have intensified their protests. Demonstrators are now demanding the immediate resignation of School Education Minister Dada Bhuse over the systemic failure.
The police have stated that the initial accused remain in judicial custody, and a comprehensive chargesheet will be filed in court shortly.