TET paper leak racket busted in Kolhapur; 18 arrested

Police have busted a blackmail racket in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra, where the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) question paper was allegedly leaked and facilitated candidates to pass the exam through fake means, officials said.

TET was held on 23 November. TET is a compulsory qualification exam for teacher recruitment in primary and secondary schools.

The police, who took action upon the notice that some people were distributing question papers in exchange for money on the eve of the exam, detained many suspects. 18 people, including key accused Mahesh Gaikwad, have been arrested, authorities said on Tuesday (November 25).

“Based on the information provided, a joint team of Local Crime Branch and Murgud police raided a furniture store in Songe village of Kagal tehsil in the early morning hours of November 23. During the raid, five candidates who were supposed to appear for TET that day were found at the spot,” a police official said.

“When the question was asked, they said that Rahul Patil is expected to appear with the leaked question paper,” he said.

Patil and two others were later detained. The official said that during interrogations, Patil confessed that Gaikwad had promised him to provide him with the TET certificate which he would hand over to the candidates in return for Rs 3 lakh.

He added that Gaikwad was later arrested from Karad in Satara district.

“We have arrested 18 people in the case so far and the number may increase as the investigation progresses. The involvement of more people, including those who facilitated and benefited from the leak, is being investigated. We are also verifying financial transactions linked to the fraud,” the official said.