3 arrested, Bihar kingpin absconding, SIT probe: Timeline of Maharashtra TET paper leak probe

THe investigating into the alleged leak out of the 2026 Maharashtra instructor Eligibility examine (TET) oppugn paper has expanded, with police widening the probe beyond Maharashtra after identifying what they believe to be a multi-state network.Three men arrested ahead of the examination have now been sent to police custody, while two more accused, including the alleged mastermind, remain on the run, earlier HT reported.Here is a timeline of the case based on the developments so far.Saturday: Three accused arrested before examThe case came to light on Saturday, June 27, when the Thane police arrested three men from Kongaon village on the outskirts of Bhiwandi.Also read | Bihar man is Maharashtra TET paper leak kingpin, court told; 3 sent to police custodyThe arrested accused were identified as Akash Kumar, 30, and Rajiv Shah, 45, both residents of Patna in Bihar, and Dhiraj Kumar, 28, from Panipat in Haryana.During the operation, the police recovered four sets of the TET-2026 question paper. Officials from the education department later confirmed that the recovered papers matched the actual question paper prepared for the examination scheduled the following day.According to the police, the accused allegedly planned to earn ₹1.5 crore by selling the leaked papers to candidates.Sunday: TET examination postponedFollowing the recovery of the question papers, authorities postponed the Maharashtra TET examination that was scheduled for Sunday.Also read | Maharashtra teacher recruitment test cancelled after raid reveals paper leak; 3 arrestedThe decision affected more than 6 lakh candidates, who were left waiting after the exam was cancelled at the last moment.Three accused produced before courtThe arrested trio was produced before Bhiwandi court on Sunday.The prosecution, represented by Assistant Commissioner of Police (Thane police) Vijay Marathe, sought 10 days of police custody, arguing that investigators suspected the accused were part of a multi-state paper leak racket and that teams would need to travel to different states during the investigation.The court, however, remanded all three accused to eight days in police custody.Police identify alleged kingpin, two accused abscondingDuring the hearing, the police informed the court that Bihar resident Bijender Gupta was the alleged kingpin behind the paper leak racket.According to the police, Gupta had allegedly been involved in at least 20 paper leak incidents across several states.Also read | 3 held in Bhiwandi for TET paper leakThe court was also informed that Gupta and Haryana resident Kapil Dahia, another accused in the case, were absconding and had been declared wanted.Ashok Dudhe, Additional Commissioner of Police, Thane Western Zone, said the investigation was now focused on tracing both men.Defence seeks medical care for one accusedDuring the proceedings, Advocate Satender Redhu, appearing for accused Dhiraj Kumar, requested the court to direct the police to provide his client with proper medical treatment.The lawyer told the court that Kumar had recently undergone bariatric surgery for weight reduction. The Thane police assured the court that he would receive adequate medical care while in custody.Redhu also argued that his client had been falsely implicated. According to the defence, Kumar was travelling from Delhi to Mumbai by train with his friends when he was arrested.SIT formed to investigate the caseAs the investigation expanded, the Thane police constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged paper leak.The SIT has been formed under the leadership of Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Panjabrao Ugle and is headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police Pawan Bansod. It includes two assistant commissioners of police, nine inspector-rank officers and 20 other personnel.Bansod said multiple police teams from Bhiwandi tracked the three accused and recovered the leaked question papers from them.