Question papers for the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) were allegedly smuggled out of a printing press in Agra by being concealed inside the shoe insoles of two employees, who were paid just ₹8,000 each, according to a nearly 3,500-page chargesheet filed by the Thane City Police.
The chargesheet, submitted before a local court in Bhiwandi on Friday, names 18 accused, including alleged mastermind Bijendra Gupta, who had previously been implicated in a paper-leak case in Odisha. Police said 16 accused have been arrested, while two alleged key associates, Ashok Sav and Prakash Misal, remain absconding.
A senior police official said a supplementary chargesheet would be filed as the investigation progresses.
How the TET Paper Leak Was Exposed
The alleged racket came to light a day before the examination, which was scheduled for June 28, after Deputy Commissioner of Police Pavan Bansod received information that three men were attempting to sell TET question papers to a resident of Bhiwandi.
Police subsequently laid a trap in the Kongaon area using decoy personnel and detained the suspects. Four sets of question papers were recovered during the operation.
The material was later verified by officials of the Maharashtra State Council of Examination, who confirmed that the seized papers matched the actual examination question papers.
The accused have been booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy. They have also been charged under Maharashtra laws dealing with examination malpractice and the use of unfair means.
A Special Investigation Team is conducting the probe.
Papers Allegedly Hidden in Shoe Insoles
According to the chargesheet, investigators traced the source of the leak to Mahim Patran Pvt. Ltd., an Agra-based printing press responsible for producing the confidential TET examination material.
Between June 15 and June 17, two employees and a former staff member of the press allegedly removed folded question papers by concealing them inside their shoe insoles.
The chargesheet states that security personnel at the printing facility checked the employees’ clothing but did not inspect their footwear, allowing the question papers to be taken outside the premises.
To prevent malpractice and maintain the integrity of the examination, the state had prepared four separate sets of question papers for the two TET papers. One set was to be selected randomly on the day of the examination.
However, according to investigators, the accused allegedly managed to sneak all four sets past the security arrangements and out of the printing facility.
The two press employees were allegedly paid ₹8,000 each for stealing the examination material. They were also allegedly promised plots of land in Agra in return for helping remove the confidential papers from the printing press, the chargesheet stated.
Police Identify Alleged Mastermind
Investigators have identified Bijendra Gupta, a former coaching-class teacher, as the alleged mastermind of the interstate paper-leak racket.
According to police, Gupta had previously been implicated in another examination paper-leak case in Odisha.
In addition to examining financial transactions and technical records, investigators have cited the recovery of an original TET question paper from the Bihar residence of one of Gupta’s relatives as important physical evidence.
Police believe the recovery helps establish the alleged chain through which the examination papers were obtained and subsequently circulated.
The investigation is continuing, and a senior police official said a supplementary chargesheet would be filed.
