The man police accuse of operating the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test paper leak network has been arrested in Patna after evading investigators for nearly a month.
Bhiwandi Police arrested Bijendra Kumar Gupta along with his alleged associate, Indrajeet Singh alias Piku. The latest operation has taken the total number of arrests in the case to 14.
Gupta was flown to Pune Airport before being taken under police protection to Bhiwandi. Both accused were brought to the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 2, for questioning.
Intelligence operation ends Bihar search
Police said a special Bhiwandi team located Gupta and Singh in Patna after receiving specific intelligence.
Gupta had remained out of reach despite repeated raids in Bihar and search operations across different locations.
Investigators describe him as a central figure in the alleged paper leak syndicate. They are expected to produce him before a court and seek his custody for further interrogation.
Probe turns to paper leak network and money trail
Police hope the questioning will reveal how the Maharashtra TET paper was obtained and circulated.
Investigators are also seeking information about other people involved, their respective roles and the geographical reach of the alleged network.
The financial side of the operation is another focus of the investigation. Police are tracing the movement of funds, suspected financial backers and channels through which money may have been transferred.
Investigators believe the money trail could lead them to additional collaborators and beneficiaries.
Police are also examining Gupta’s suspected involvement in other examination paper leak cases. These alleged links remain under investigation.
Gupta’s wife among those arrested earlier
Several accused had been taken into custody before the Patna operation, including Gupta’s wife.
Police suspect she was connected to the financial operations of the alleged network. Gupta, however, had continued to evade arrest until Saturday.
The arrest of Gupta and Singh has raised the number of people held in the Maharashtra TET investigation from 12 to 14.
Maharashtra TET was scheduled across 1,028 centres
The Maharashtra TET was scheduled to take place on June 28 across 1,028 examination centres. The state examination council postponed the test after police investigating activity in Bhiwandi received information that some people allegedly possessed material connected to the question paper.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had criticised the delay in announcing a fresh examination date and said around six lakh candidates had been left uncertain about their future.
“Maharashtra TET paper leaked, exam cancelled. 6 lakh candidates left in limbo. Two weeks have passed, no trace of a new date. The leakers roam free, the system remains spotless, and the one paying the price is the one who toiled with honesty,” Gandhi wrote on X.
The examination council’s public notice described the test as postponed, rather than cancelled.
Gandhi asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to announce a fresh examination schedule, ensure strict action against those responsible and provide age relaxation to candidates affected by the postponement.