The Maharashtra police have arrested three more individuals from Uttar Pradesh in connection with the alleged Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak case, bringing the total number of persons in custody to 10, officials confirmed on Sunday.
Arrests of Printing Firm Employees
A state-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Friday arrested Nareshkumar Mahore, Sanjaykumar Sharma, and Babulal Kushwaha, all employees of a private printing firm based in Agra, a police official stated. The trio allegedly smuggled question papers out of a secure facility during the printing process. During the arrest, police also recovered three live cartridges from Sharma.
Remand and Investigation Progress
The three accused were brought to Bhiwandi in Thane district, where the alleged paper leak first came to light, on Saturday. A magistrate remanded them to police custody until July 9. With these latest arrests, a total of ten individuals have been taken into custody so far, said police.
The SIT is currently tracking financial and digital trails to apprehend the suspected kingpins, Bijendra Kumar Gupta and Sonukumar Kishanlal, the official added.
Background of the Paper Leak
The TET 2026 was postponed on June 27, a day before it was scheduled to be held, after police in Thane district discovered that a part of the question paper had been leaked and arrested three people. The SIT uncovered that the racket was spread across Delhi, Agra, Bihar, and Haryana.
The investigation previously led to the arrest of Suman Kumari Gupta, the wife of the alleged mastermind, Bijendra Gupta, from Patna, after call records and financial trails linked her to him.
Impact on Candidates
The TET paper leak, which followed the national scandal caused by the leak of the NEET-UG paper, has affected nearly 6 lakh candidates. The SIT continues to investigate the widespread network involved in the leak.
