Police have filed a 3,500-page charge sheet against 16 accused in the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test paper leak case before a court in Bhiwandi, with the trial set to proceed in a fast-track court under directions from the Bombay High Court.
The charge sheet was filed before the court of Bhiwandi Additional Sessions Judge A. A. Kore after a Special Investigation Team completed its investigation, according to a report by Loksatta. Deputy Commissioner of Police Pawan Bansod confirmed the filing.
The case concerns the alleged leak of the TET question paper ahead of the primary teachers’ eligibility examination. The examination was scheduled for June 28, while the leak came to light during action by Bhiwandi police on June 26, two days before the test.
Following the police action, the Maharashtra government ordered a detailed investigation by a Special Investigation Team led by Thane Joint Commissioner of Police Punjabrao Ugle. The team included Bhiwandi Deputy Commissioner of Police Pawan Bansod and other police officers and personnel. The order for the probe was issued under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the report said.
The investigation initially resulted in the arrest of three accused. As the probe expanded, police arrested 16 people in total. Investigators found that the alleged main accused, Brijesh Gupta, had taken the TET paper out of a printing press in Mathura, after which he was arrested.
According to the police investigation cited in the report, Prakash Pawar from Solapur is the only arrested accused from Maharashtra. The remaining 15 accused are from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The geographical spread described in the case indicates that the alleged chain extended beyond the state where the examination was to be conducted, although the charge sheet and subsequent court proceedings will establish the prosecution’s case against each accused.
The filing places the next stage of the matter before the criminal court. A charge sheet records the investigating agency’s allegations and evidence submitted for judicial consideration; it does not by itself establish the guilt of the accused. The fast-track hearing is expected to follow the directions of the High Court, with the Bhiwandi court now having the completed investigation record before it.
The case has implications for the credibility of eligibility examinations used in the recruitment pathway for primary teachers. A paper leak can affect candidates who prepare for and appear in the examination, while also placing pressure on the agencies responsible for printing, transporting, safeguarding and administering question papers. The police filing is the latest formal step in a case that began with action shortly before the scheduled examination.
The immediate official milestone is the commencement of proceedings before the fast-track court after the charge sheet is taken on record and the court completes the next procedural steps.
