Maharashtra TET paper leak mastermind arrested from Bihar after month on the run

Bijendra Gupta, who has been linked to multiple examination paper leak cases across the country, had been evading arrest despite sustained raids by Maharashtra Police in several parts of Bihar.

In Short

• Despite multiple police raids, the accused remained on the run for days
• Investigators now probing Gupta's alleged links to multiple examination paper leak cases
• India Today's 2024 investigation on paper leak brought Bijendra Gupta on national headlines

The alleged mastermind behind the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak, Bijendra Gupta, has been arrested by the Maharashtra Police in Bihar after being on the run for several days, officials said.

Gupta, who has been linked to multiple examination paper leak cases across the country, had been evading arrest despite sustained raids by Maharashtra Police in several parts of Bihar. Along with Gupta, another accused was also arrested during the operation.

The breakthrough comes a few days after Maharashtra Police arrested several accused in the TET paper leak case, including Gupta's wife. However, Gupta had managed to remain absconding, prompting an extensive interstate search.

Gupta had come under the spotlight in 2024 after an India Today undercover investigation conducted in the aftermath of the NEET paper leak. During the sting operation, Gupta allegedly spoke about the functioning of the paper leak syndicate and exposed the methods used to compromise competitive examinations.

The sting also highlighted alleged loopholes in the National Testing Agency's (NTA) examination system, with Gupta claiming that organised networks exploited these vulnerabilities to facilitate paper leaks.

Investigators believe Gupta played a key role in multiple examination paper leak cases across India, making him one of the most wanted accused in the Maharashtra TET paper leak investigation.

Maharashtra Police is expected to bring Gupta to the state on transit remand for further questioning. Officials are also probing his alleged links with other examination paper leak rackets operating across the country.

POLICE ARRESTED MULTIPLE ACCUSED BEFORE

Among those arrested earlier was Gupta's wife, Suman Gupta, who was taken into custody from Bihar. Investigators alleged that she was aware of the paper leak racket and that several financial transactions linked to the syndicate were carried out in her presence. Police are also probing whether assets, including properties in Delhi and Patna, were purchased using proceeds generated from the alleged paper leak network.

On July 3, the SIT arrested three more accused, including Kapil Dahiya, Mithun Singh and Sonu Singh, in a breakthrough. According to investigators, Kapil Dahiya, a resident of Haryana's Sonipat district, allegedly travelled to Mumbai to identify buyers and sell the leaked TET question papers. Mithun Singh, arrested in Bihar, is accused of travelling to Pune to distribute the leaked papers and is believed to have close links with the core network.

Police also arrested Sonu Singh from Bihar's Hajipur, alleging that he prepared forged identity documents for Gupta and helped facilitate the operation of the syndicate. Investigators suspect leaked examination papers were printed using facilities linked to him and have also recovered fake identity cards allegedly created for Gupta. Police believe Sonu had known Gupta for years and played a key logistical role in the interstate network.

The probe began after police arrested three suspects, Akash Kumar, Rajiv Kumar, and Dheeraj Singh, earlier while they were allegedly attempting to sell leaked TET question papers in Thane's Kongaon area ahead of the June 28 examination. The Maharashtra State Council of Examination subsequently postponed the test, affecting nearly six lakh candidates. At the same time, the SIT expanded its investigation across multiple states to trace the entire paper leak network.

- Ends