Maharashtra TET 2026 paper leak: High-level panel, free re-exam announced
Synopsis
Over six lakh candidates were left in limbo after Maharashtra's TET-2026 was abruptly cancelled when police caught an accused syndicate allegedly selling leaked papers for up to ₹1.5 crore. The state's response — a free re-exam, a Chief Secretary-led committee to shift all competitive tests online, an SIT, and possible MCOCA charges — signals that Maharashtra is treating this not as an isolated leak but as organised crime.
Key Takeaways
Maharashtra TET-2026 was cancelled across 1,728 centres after police recovered leaked question papers on 27 June 2026 .
Primary accused Rajiv Shriprayag Shaw and two accomplices were arrested; they allegedly planned to sell papers for up to ₹1.5 crore .
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by the Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Thane City , has taken over the probe, with raid teams deployed across state lines.
Minister Dadaji Bhuse announced a free rescheduled TET-2026 examination with zero re-registration fees for affected candidates.
A high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary will oversee transition of all state competitive exams to a secure online format from next year.
Invocation of MCOCA against masterminds is under active consideration by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis .
Maharashtra Minister of School Education Dadaji Bhuse on Monday, 29 June 2026, announced a sweeping set of reforms in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly following the high-profile paper leak in the Maharashtra State Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026, affecting over six lakh candidates. The measures include a free rescheduled examination, a full transition to online testing, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into an organised syndicate that allegedly attempted to sell leaked question papers for sums as high as ₹1.5 crore.
What the Government Announced
Minister Bhuse told the Assembly that a high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary will be constituted starting next year to oversee the deployment of secure digital infrastructure, with the goal of transitioning TET and all other state competitive examinations to a fully online format.
Addressing the financial burden on affected students, he confirmed that the rescheduled TET-2026 examination will carry zero examination or re-registration fees of any kind. 'A fresh, rescheduled TET-2026 examination will be organised in a strictly disciplined, highly secure and completely transparent manner. To ensure candidates face no financial penalties for system failures, no examination or re-registration fees of any kind will be charged to candidates appearing for the rescheduled test,' Bhuse said.
How the Leak Was Uncovered
Acting on credible intelligence received on 27 June 2026, the Thane City Police laid a strategic trap after learning that an organised syndicate was planning to sell leaked question papers ahead of the examination scheduled for 28 June 2026. The operation led to the arrest of three individuals, including the primary accused, Rajiv Shriprayag Shaw, and two accomplices.
Authorities recovered authentic copies of the question papers from the accused. Senior officials from the Education Department verified the seized material and confirmed the documents were identical to the genuine papers prepared for the examination. This triggered an immediate postponement of the test across 1,728 centres.
A formal case — C.R. No. 281/2026 — has been registered at Kongaon Police Station under the Thane City Police Commissionerate. The accused were formally arrested on 27 June 2026 and remain in police custody. They have been booked under the newly enacted Central penal code as well as state anti-malpractice laws.
SIT Formed, MCOCA Being Explored
Recognising the interstate scale of the operation, the Director General of Police (DGP), Maharashtra, constituted a high-level Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by the Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Thane City. Multiple specialised raid teams have been dispatched across state lines to dismantle the wider network and capture the alleged mastermind.
Minister Bhuse also told the Assembly that legal options are being explored to amend or apply the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against those found guilty of masterminding competitive examination leaks.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had earlier on Saturday stated that the state government is planning to invoke MCOCA against the masterminds, adding that he would hold a detailed discussion with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to implement the decision. Shinde described the paper leak as no longer merely a financial malpractice but a form of serious, structured organised crime, and reiterated the government's stated policy of 'zero tolerance' towards corruption.
Impact on Candidates and What Comes Next
The leak has disrupted the academic plans of over six lakh candidates who had registered for TET-2026. The rescheduled examination date is yet to be announced, but the government has assured a fully transparent process. The transition to online examinations — if implemented on schedule — would mark a structural shift in how Maharashtra conducts large-scale public competitive tests, a reform that has been under discussion for years but has repeatedly stalled.
With the SIT probe now active across state lines and MCOCA provisions under consideration, the case is likely to widen significantly in the coming weeks.
Point of View
An interstate SIT, and a zero-fee re-exam are all significant escalations. But the deeper problem is structural: paper leaks in state competitive exams have recurred across India for years, and the promised shift to online testing has been announced, deferred, and re-announced in multiple states without follow-through. The real test for the Fadnavis government is not the arrest of three accused, but whether the Chief Secretary-led committee actually delivers a tamper-proof digital infrastructure before the next high-stakes examination cycle — or whether this becomes another reform that exists only in Assembly statements.
NationPress
29 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Maharashtra TET 2026 paper leak case?
The Maharashtra TET-2026 examination, scheduled for 28 June 2026, was cancelled after Thane City Police arrested three individuals — including primary accused Rajiv Shriprayag Shaw — who allegedly possessed leaked question papers and planned to sell them for up to ₹1.5 crore. The cancellation affected over six lakh registered candidates across 1,728 examination centres.
When will the rescheduled Maharashtra TET 2026 exam be held?
The rescheduled TET-2026 examination date has not yet been announced. However, Minister Dadaji Bhuse has confirmed that the re-exam will be held in a secure and transparent manner, and no examination or re-registration fees will be charged to candidates.
What is the SIT investigating in the TET paper leak?
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Director General of Police, Maharashtra, and headed by the Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Thane City, has taken over the probe. The SIT is investigating the full network behind the leak, with multiple raid teams deployed across state lines to identify and apprehend the alleged masterminds.
What is MCOCA and why is it being considered in this case?
The Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) is a stringent state law designed to prosecute organised criminal syndicates. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has stated that the government is planning to invoke MCOCA against the masterminds of the TET leak, arguing that large-scale exam paper leaks now constitute structured organised crime rather than simple malpractice.
How will Maharashtra prevent future exam paper leaks?
Minister Dadaji Bhuse announced that a high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary will be appointed starting next year to oversee the transition of TET and all other state public competitive examinations to a fully secure online format. The government is also exploring amendments to apply MCOCA-level penalties to exam leak masterminds.
