Maharashtra TET paper leak: Main accused Bijendra Kumar Gupta arrested in Bihar

The main accused in the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak case, Bijendra Kumar Gupta, was arrested from Bihar by the Bhiwandi Police on Saturday, officials said.

According to the Bhiwandi Police, Gupta has been brought to Pune Airport and will be taken to Pune for further legal proceedings and investigation.

Police identified Gupta as the prime accused in the Maharashtra TET paper leak case.


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'Biggest examination scam'

The arrest comes amid a fresh political slugfest over the origins of the Maharashtra TET paper leak case, with the ruling Mahayuti and the Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) trading charges over when the alleged scam took root.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently described the 2021 Maharashtra TET paper leak as the state's "biggest examination scam" and said it occurred during the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government's tenure under then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Shiv Sena (UBT), however, rejected the claim, arguing that the alleged network behind the scam began operating during Fadnavis's previous term as chief minister. Addressing reporters in Pune on Friday, the party's deputy leader Sushma Andhare said, "When Uddhav Thackeray became the chief minister, he gave free hand to all the officers, as a result of which the TET paper scam was unearthed."

She further alleged that the private software agency entrusted with conducting the examination had been appointed in 2018 under the Fadnavis-led government despite having been blacklisted in Karnataka.

"The private firm was roped in in 2018 when Fadnavis was chief minister and Vinod Tawde was the education minister. The tainted firm was given the responsibility of conducting the examination by the Fadnavis-led govt," Andhare said.

Also read: Three held in Maharashtra TET paper leak case; exam was postponed earlier

Maharashtra TET scam: The story so far

Referring to the investigation launched in 2021, she said authorities had arrested the firm's owner, Pritish Deshmukh, and more than 40 others after the paper leak surfaced.

"Action in the paper-leak case was taken when Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister. The firm's owner Pritish Deshmukh and more than 40 people were arrested. Jobs of over 3,500 candidates who used unfair means to clear the test were cancelled. It included the daughter of the then minister Abdul Sattar," she said.

Andhare also accused the BJP of shielding those linked to the case, claiming "A key accused in the paper leak case, Abhijeet Savrikar, was inducted into the party by its state president Ravindra Chavan. IAS officer Sushil Khodwekar, who was also arrested in the case, was reinstated by the Mahayuti govt. It shows that the BJP supports those responsible for the paper leak. Therefore, Pradhan (Union education minister) has not been removed from his ministry even after such a massive protest."

BJP has maintained that the scam came to light during the MVA government's tenure, while Shiv Sena (UBT) has contended that the alleged irregularities originated before 2019.