Maharashtra TET exam papers smuggled in shoe insoles, chargesheet filed

Thane City police submitted a nearly 3,500-page chargesheet before a court in Bhiwandi on Friday, naming 18 accused persons in the paper leak scandal. The investigation identified alleged mastermind Bijendra Gupta as a key conspirator, marking his second involvement in such examination breaches after a previous paper leak case in Odisha.

According to the chargesheet, two printing press employees smuggled the TET question papers out of the Agra facility by concealing them within shoe insoles. The police have arrested 16 suspects so far, though two primary accomplices—Ashok Sav and Prakash Misal—remain at large as the investigation continues.

The exam paper smuggling plot came to light just one day before the scheduled June 28 examination when Deputy Commissioner of Police Pavan Bansod received intelligence about three individuals attempting to sell the exam papers to a Bhiwandi resident. Police subsequently orchestrated a sting operation in the Kongaon area, deploying decoy personnel to apprehend the suspects involved in the transaction.

Thane City police indicated that a supplementary chargesheet will be filed as the investigation progresses further, suggesting that additional details and evidence continue to emerge in the case.