Bhiwandi court remands mastermind's wife in Maharashtra TET paper leak case
On Tuesday, a court in Bhiwandi remanded Suman Gupta, the wife of the alleged mastermind behind the Maharashtra Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) 2026 question paper leak, to police custody until July 6. Gupta was arrested by the Thane Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) from her residence in Patna, Bihar, on Monday and flown to Mumbai for investigation.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2) Pawan Bansod, who leads the SIT, Gupta was allegedly handling the financial transactions of her husband, the suspected kingpin Bijender Gupta. Investigators state she had transferred money to her husband as well as to three other previously arrested accused.
During the court proceedings in Bhiwandi, public prosecutor Sumit Jadhav argued that Gupta had been in constant touch with her husband and had transferred money to his accounts in the days leading up to her arrest. The prosecution stated that her custody was essential to analyze her digital footprints, call detail records, and financial transactions.
Gupta’s defense lawyer, Shailesh Gaikwad, contested the arrest, claiming she was targeted solely because of her marriage to the primary accused and for communicating with him. Gaikwad added that she was actively cooperating with the police.
The paper leak came to light on Saturday when Thane police arrested two residents of Bihar and one resident of Haryana from the outskirts of Bhiwandi. The trio was caught with copies of the TET-2026 question paper, which education department officials confirmed were genuine copies of the exam scheduled for Sunday.
Following the leak, the examination was postponed, affecting more than 600,000 candidates. The three individuals arrested on Saturday were also remanded to police custody until July 6.
Meanwhile, the police have launched a search for the alleged mastermind, Bijender Gupta, and his associate, Kapil Dahia, who both remain absconding. A Look Out Circular has been issued against them to prevent them from fleeing the country.
The Thane police have formed six dedicated teams to probe the case. Investigators suspect that the examination paper was leaked either from a printing press in Agra or during its transit to various examination centers across Maharashtra.
