Held after massive search, TET leak ‘mastermind’ taken to Bihar to recover evidence: police

July 28, 2026 Headlinesnews

2 min readMumbaiUpdated: Jul 28, 2026 09:38 PM IST

The Special Investigation Team, probing the Maharashtra Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak, on Monday took the key accused of the case, Bijendra Gupta, to Bihar to verify certain facts and recover evidence believed to be linked to the conspiracy.

Gupta was arrested from Bihar last week after he was on the run for over three weeks, constantly shifting between Delhi, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh while avoiding all direct contact with his family in a calculated attempt to evade arrest.

Despite frequently changing locations and relying on intermediaries to communicate, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) managed to tracked him down by deploying 75 police personnel in four states after a massive search using advanced surveillance techniques.

“Gupta deliberately avoided using mobile numbers linked to him or even SIM cards registered in the names of others. Instead of calling his family directly, he allegedly passed messages through neighbours and acquaintances to ensure his whereabouts remained concealed,” said a police officer who is part of the probe.

On Monday, the SIT took Gupta to Bihar Meanwhile, the SIT on Monday arrested Gupta’s close aide, Sonu Kumar Diwakar, 34, from Agra after he allegedly surrendered before a court in Bhiwandi. Police alleged that Diwakar procured the leaked question paper from two employees of Agra-based printing press Mahim Patran Pvt. Ltd. and handed it over to Gupta. Diwakar was produced before a court on Tuesday, which remanded him in police custody till August 2.

Police said that the investigation will continue to trace one more accused from Pune, who allegedly agreed to purchase the leaked TET question paper who is still absconding.

Gupta has been remanded in police custody till July 30. He was initially reluctant to cooperate during questioning but has now started cooperating and disclosing information, said officer.

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The investigation had earlier traced the leak to Mahim Patran Pvt. Ltd. in Agra, where two employees and a former employee allegedly smuggled the confidential question paper out of the press by concealing it beneath the insoles of their shoes. The accused Nareshkumar Puranchand Mohore, Babulal Narayansingh Kushwaha and former employee Sanjay Kumar Sureshchandra Chandra were arrested on July 5.

Manish Kumar Pathak is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates substantial Expertise and Authority across the complex field of crime reporting, with a strong focus on law enforcement actions, fraud, and cyber security challenges facing the metropolitan region.
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