The chargesheet was filed before a local court in Bhiwandi. It names 18 people, including mastermind Bijendra Gupta, a former coaching class teacher who had also been linked to an earlier examination paper leak case in Odisha.
Sixteen of the accused have been arrested, while Ashok Saw and Prakash Misal remain absconding, according to police. A supplementary chargesheet is expected after further investigation.
Papers hidden in shoe insoles
According to the chargesheet, the leak originated at Mahim Patran Private Limited, an Agra-based printing press that had been assigned to print the confidential Maharashtra TET papers.
Between June 15 and 17, two employees and a former employee folded the question papers and hid them inside their shoe insoles to take them outside the press.
The security guards reportedly checked their clothes but did not check their footwear. The accused used this gap to take the papers out of the facility.
Rs 8,000 payment and promise of land
The chargesheet states that the press employees were paid Rs 8,000 each for taking the examination papers out.
They were also promised money to purchase land plots in Agra after the leaked papers were sold, according to the police investigation.
The Maharashtra examination authorities had prepared four separate sets covering the two TET papers to prevent cheating and ensure that one set could be selected for the examination.
According to the investigation, the accused managed to take all four sets out of the printing press.
The leak came to light shortly before the examination scheduled for June 28. Police later recovered four sets of question papers during a trap in the Kongaon area of Thane district. Officials of the Maharashtra State Council of Examination verified that the seized papers matched the actual examination papers.
Investigation traced the paper to Bihar
Police have also traced the movement of the leaked papers beyond Agra. The chargesheet reportedly includes financial transactions and other evidence showing how the papers were circulated.
An original question paper was also recovered from the Bihar residence of a relative of mastermind Bijendra Gupta, according to the investigation.
The Teacher Eligibility Test is a qualifying examination for candidates seeking teaching positions for primary and upper-primary classes.
The Maharashtra TET is conducted by the state examination authorities. The 2026 examination was scheduled for June 28 but was postponed after the paper leak came to light.
The accused have been booked under provisions relating to cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy, along with provisions of Maharashtra laws dealing with examination malpractice and unfair means.
The allegations in the chargesheet are part of an ongoing criminal case and will be subject to judicial proceedings. The police have said that further investigation is continuing.
