They hid TET exam papers in their shoes for Rs 8,000. Now, their trial nears

The Maharashtra government has approved the appointment of a Special Public Prosecutor to handle the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak case, which led to the exam originally scheduled for June 28 being postponed. This decision was made due to the gravity of the case, and the trial will be held at a Bhiwandi court, designated as a special fast-track trial court for such exam leak cases.

The Maharashtra government had previously announced the setting up of special fast-track courts to try examination malpractice cases following the NEET paper leak controversy and the subsequent student protests.

The Thane Police sought government permission to appoint a Special Public Prosecutor, Ajay Misar, in the case due to its sensitive nature. The police are also expected to file a chargesheet against the 16 accused within the next 10-12 days. They have identified Bijendra Gupta as the mastermind behind the leak, with the investigation uncovering technical evidence such as calls exchanged between the accused, CCTV footage, and seizures made from the accused's residences, including fake documents.

The leak was discovered two days before the exam when the Thane City police received a tip-off from an informant in Bhiwandi who claimed that three people approached him with a copy of the TET question paper. A raid led to the arrest of 16 individuals, with the latest charge against a coaching class teacher from Solapur on August 11. Two more individuals are set to be named as wanted in the case. The arrested accused are currently in judicial custody.

The source of the paper leak was traced back to an Agra-based printing press, Mahim Patran Pvt Ltd, where two current employees and a former employee are alleged to have concealed the question papers beneath their shoe insoles. They had been recruited by the main accused for a mere Rs 8,000.