The issue of paper leaks resurfaced in India’s testing system on Saturday when the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test question paper was reportedly leaked one day before the scheduled exam.
Maharashtra Police have arrested three individuals so far and seized four sets of question papers in a raid in Thane district’s Kongaon area. The suspects reportedly named Bihar resident Bijendra Gupta as the main planner.
Gupta, from Samastipur, has faced prior accusations in similar cases and has avoided capture multiple times.
A 2024 India Today sting operation in Patna, recorded after the NEET-UG leak, has drawn renewed attention. In it, Gupta described his claimed 25-year involvement and named past leaks including the 2023 OSSC, BPSC and MPPSC exams.
He asserted that key NEET accused Sanjeev Mukhiya would evade arrest and that roughly 700 students gained from the scheme, which he estimated would yield Rs 200-300 crore. Mukhiya was later detained in April 2025.
Gupta described tampering with sealed boxes during transport and said blacklisted firms still win contracts. He added that leaks occur through government contacts and printing presses, and that the NEET papers reached students in Delhi, Patna and elsewhere during distribution.
He predicted leaks would persist, stating those involved would be jailed, released on bail and resume operations.
The Maharashtra government postponed TET 2026, originally set for June 28, and formed a Special Investigation Team. Officials are checking if recovered papers match the real exam. If confirmed, the test may be cancelled and action against those involved stepped up.
The arrests followed a June 27 raid in Bhiwandi. The three men, from Delhi, Haryana and Bihar, allegedly sought Rs 1.5 crore for the papers.
