Maha TET 2026 Paper Leak: CM Fadnavis Orders High-Level SIT Investigation After Massive Inter-State Racket Busted in Thane
In a major development, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday officially ordered the formation of a high-level Special Investigation Team (SIT) to launch a thorough probe into the shocking Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026 question paper leak. The swift action follows the high-profile arrest of three individuals in the Thane district. The newly constituted SIT will be actively headed by Thane Joint Commissioner of Police Panjabrao Ugale to ensure a meticulous crackdown on the racket.
The Chief Minister met urgently with the School Education Minister, Dada Bhuse, and the Director General of Police, Sadanand Date, and directed senior officials to take the strictest punitive action against anyone found involved in compromising the exam's integrity. The rapid escalation occurred immediately after the Bhiwandi Police arrested three suspects from Bihar and Haryana who were caught in possession of original copies of the upcoming TET question paper.
Over 6 Lakh Candidates Affected as MSCE Postpones Exam
Earlier in the day, the Maharashtra State Council of Examination (MSCE) officially postponed the highly anticipated TET examination, originally scheduled for Sunday, June 28, to facilitate a detailed, unhindered investigation. The sudden postponement has disrupted schedules across the state, as more than six lakh teaching candidates were actively preparing to appear for the evaluation at 1,028 designated centres across Maharashtra.
In a formal public statement, the MSCE said it has implemented several stringent security measures and protocols following the nationwide irregularities previously reported during the NEET-UG 2026 examination. However, despite heightened vigilance, confidential intelligence received by the department on Saturday morning indicated that a group operating out of Bhiwandi had gained unauthorised access to the TET question paper.
Police Lay Trap in Bhiwandi to Seize Original Papers
Providing details on the sting operation, Thane Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Dudhe stated that Deputy Commissioner of Police Pawan Bansod had received an actionable tip-off indicating that certain individuals had arrived in the Bhiwandi jurisdiction with the sole intent of selling the leaked TET question papers to desperate candidates.
Acting swiftly on the intelligence, local police laid a strategic trap in the Kongaon area and successfully detained three prime suspects. During a thorough search of their belongings, police officers recovered active mobile phones, multiple debit cards, credit cards, liquid cash, and four physical copies of the original TET question paper.
Senior administrative officials from the State Education Department were immediately called in to verify the seized documents. After a thorough review, the experts confirmed that the contents matched the actual examination paper scheduled to be handed out to lakhs of students on Sunday.
Inter-State Racket Suspected as Interrogations Intensify
"Consequently, the three individuals were taken into formal custody, a regular criminal case was registered, and the legal 'panchnama' was drawn up on the spot. Further deep investigation is currently underway. Given the immense scale and serious nature of this offence, we have immediately constituted a Special Investigation Team," Additional CP Dudhe confirmed.
The local police stated that the three accused have been moved to the Kongaon police station for intense, round-the-clock questioning to locate their local accomplices. Dudhe reiterated that harsh action would be taken against anyone found to be involved in the distribution or purchase of the leaked papers as the investigation expands into neighbouring states. The fresh examination dates for the rescheduled evaluation will be officially announced later by the Maharashtra State Council of Examination.
