Maharashtra TET Paper Leak Mastermind Arrested From Bihar After Month-Long Manhunt

New Delhi: Bijendra Kumar Gupta, the main accused in the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) exam paper leak case, has been arrested by Maharashtra Police on Saturday morning from Bihar after months on the run, officials said.The

Gupta was escorted to Pune Airport by the Bhiwandi Police and will shortly be transported to Bhiwandi to aid further inquiries.

Gupta, implicated in several exam paper leak scams nationwide, had successfully dodged capture despite persistent raids conducted by Maharashtra Police across multiple regions in Bihar. The operation also resulted in the arrest of a second individual alongside Gupta.

Multiple arrests made

This development follows the apprehension of multiple suspects in the TET paper leak case by Maharashtra Police months prior, which included Gupta's wife Suman Gupta. Investigators suspect she played a role in facilitating the operations of the network, though the probe into her alleged involvement is continuing.

Nevertheless, Gupta had eluded capture, triggering a widespread interstate manhunt.

More arrests made

Previously, Maharashtra Police apprehended three additional suspects from Bihar and Punjab regarding the TET question paper leak. 

Investigators suspect that Kapil Dahiya, Mithun Singh, and Sonu Singh played various parts in the alleged network responsible for obtaining and distributing the test papers prior to the examination.

Investigators suspect Sonu was connected to printing facilities used for the leaked exam papers and are looking into his reported ties to Gupta, a fellow Samastipur native whom he has allegedly known for many years.

Investigators suspect Gupta was instrumental in several exam paper leak scams nationwide, cementing his status as a primary target in the Maharashtra TET probe. 

Authorities plan to secure a transit remand to transport Gupta to Maharashtra for extended interrogation, while officials simultaneously investigate his potential connections to other organized paper leak syndicates operating across the country.

These arrests coincide with the Maharashtra Police's ongoing multi-state expansion of the probe to uncover the syndicate behind the alleged leak and track the flow of money and question papers.

Maharashtra paper leak case

Allegations that exam papers were illicitly acquired and distributed prior to the test have sparked recruitment concerns in the Maharashtra TET paper leak case. Investigators suspect the network spanned multiple states and are probing financial flows, call records, and the involvement of middlemen tied to the suspects.

Following the leak allegations, the Maharashtra State Council of Examination (MSCE) deferred the Maharashtra TET test, which had been slated for June 28.