Maharashtra TET Paper Leak Case: Bihar's Bijendra Kumar Identified As Mastermind, Three Arrested

Bihar's Bijendra Kumar Gupta emerges as a key accused in the Maharashtra TET paper leak case as police expand the probe.

Bihar's Bijendra Kumar Gupta emerges as a key accused in the Maharashtra TET paper leak case

Source : Namrata Arvind Dubey

A significant Bihar connection has surfaced in the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak case. Investigators have identified Bijendra Kumar Gupta, a resident of Samastipur in Bihar, as a key accused in the case. Gupta has previously been named as an accused in another paper leak case. Earlier, the Bhiwandi Police arrested three accused in connection with the Maharashtra TET paper leak investigation.  

Police have formed teams comprising 10 personnel to arrest Kapil Dahiya and Bijendra Kumar Gupta. Investigators believe Gupta's arrest could lead to major breakthroughs in the case. The FIR names five accused: Rajiv Shri Prayag Shaw, Akash Kumar Swaraj Kumar, Dhiraj Balraj Singh, Kapil Dahiya (absconding), and Bijender Kumar Gupta alias Baleshwar Kumar Sah.  

Bhiwandi Police share investigation details  

Senior Bhiwandi Police officials said Bijendra Kumar Gupta, a resident of Samastipur in Bihar, is an absconding accused in the Maharashtra TET paper leak case. They said he is the same accused against whom cases related to paper leak incidents have been registered in several states across the country.  

However, police said it has not yet been established whether he was the mastermind behind the Maharashtra TET paper leak, and the investigation is still in progress. Two cases related to paper leaks were registered against him in Odisha in July 2023. Apart from those, Gupta is wanted in several other cases.  

Police also said the accused have allegedly used different names at various places. Investigation teams from Bhiwandi Police are currently carrying out searches in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi. According to the police, absconding accused Kapil Dahiya and arrested accused Dhiraj were first present in Thane city before travelling to Pune.  

Key Details of the case  

For the past 25 years, the Maharashtra State Examination Council has been getting examination papers for such tests printed by Mahim Patram Private Limited, a company based in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.  

Four different question paper sets are printed for these examinations. Immediately after printing, the papers are transported to various examination centres for distribution. This time, the printed papers were dispatched to Washim, Jalna and Latur in Maharashtra. However, investigators have not yet determined the exact point from where the paper was leaked.  

NSUI Protests Before Education Minister Dada Bhuse  

Members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Maharashtra Congress, staged a protest before Maharashtra Education Minister Dada Bhuse over the TET paper leak case. The protesters demanded the minister's resignation and were later taken into police custody.