The probe into the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) question paper leak has expanded beyond the state, with the Thane Police sending multiple teams to Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to track down the alleged mastermind and dismantle the interstate network behind the racket.
Three accused were produced before a court on Sunday, which remanded them to police custody till July 6.
According to the police, five people have been named in the FIR. Among them, Rajiv Kumar and Aakash Kumar, both from Bihar, and Dheeraj Singh from Haryana have been arrested. Two other accused, identified as Dahiya and Balinder Singh, both residents of Haryana, are absconding. Investigators are working to trace them and determine the extent of their involvement in the case.
Police believe the three arrested men were part of a larger network and not the only group involved in distributing the leaked examination papers.
"There is a possibility that multiple groups were operating simultaneously in Pune and other parts of the state to sell copies of the paper. Our teams have been sent to several states to probe the wider conspiracy," a police officer said.
Investigators suspect that the alleged mastermind is based in Delhi, while other members of the syndicate were operating from different parts of the National Capital Region (NCR).
According to the investigation, the gang planned to sell each leaked TET question paper for between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 3 lakh, with the overall operation expected to generate crores of rupees. Police have not yet revealed the identity of the alleged mastermind or the prospective buyers.
The three arrested accused were allegedly carrying one original set of the TET question paper along with four photocopies when they were apprehended. Police said they had travelled to Bhiwandi to sell the leaked papers and were expecting to earn nearly Rs 1.5 crore from the deal.
Investigators are now analysing the accused persons' mobile phones and digital records to identify potential buyers and uncover the full extent of the network. Police are also verifying their identity documents and examining their criminal history.
"Such accused often operate under multiple bogus identities," an official associated with the probe said.
The racket came to light after Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II) Dr Pawan Bansod received specific information that three men had checked into a hotel in Kongaon, Bhiwandi. Acting on the tip-off, a police team raided the hotel at around 11 am on Saturday and found the accused in possession of four sets of the examination paper.
Officials from the Education Department were immediately called to the spot and confirmed that the questions matched those in the original examination paper.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has since been constituted to investigate the case and identify every person involved in the alleged interstate paper leak racket.
