TET paper-leak scam: What it’s all about, how Maharashtra Police busted it | Explained

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Thane Police apprehends three individuals in connection with the alleged Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test question paper leak, in Bhiwandi on June 27, 2026. | Photo Credit: ANI

The Maharashtra Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) is probing an inter-State paper-leak racket linked to accused persons suspected of involvement in similar paper-leak cases in other States, in connection with the State Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), which was postponed after the alleged leak came to light.

The Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test is an examination that assesses candidates’ proficiency in subjects such as mathematics, science and languages for teaching roles. It is mandatory under the Right to Education Act for the recruitment of primary school teachers from Classes I to VIII. As per guidelines issued by the National Council for Teacher Education, each State conducts its own TET. In Maharashtra, the examination is conducted by the Maharashtra State Council of Examination, headquartered in Pune.

The examination was scheduled to be held on June 28. However, on the eve of the examination, the Maharashtra State Council of Examination postponed it after a police probe found that the papers had allegedly been leaked.

The last-minute cancellation has affected more than six lakh candidates. The exam was scheduled to be conducted in 1,028 centres across 37 cities in Maharashtra.

The new date of the examination has not yet been announced. Officials have indicated that it will be announced soon. The State government has said the applicants may not need to re-register or pay any additional fees for appearing for the examination.

Acting on a tip-off, the Thane Police last week laid a trap and arrested three accused who were allegedly trying to sell examination papers for ₹1.5 crore. Police had received information that a group of men was attempting to sell papers across Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Solapur, Nagpur, and Indore. This information is still being verified as part of the ongoing inve