Maharashtra to invoke MCOCA against TET 2026 paper leak masterminds

The Maharashtra government has announced plans to treat the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026 paper leak as organized crime, with intentions to invoke the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the masterminds of the scam. The announcement was made in Mumbai on Saturday, June 27, 2026, following the postponement of the examination which has left lakhs of candidates waiting across the state.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde termed the TET 2026 paper leak a "highly infuriating" incident. Shinde stated that the state government does not intend to treat the leak as a routine offense. Instead, the administration is preparing to escalate the investigation into a major organized crime case.

To formalize the invocation of MCOCA against the key accused, Deputy Chief Minister Shinde announced that he would soon discuss the proposal with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The decision to apply MCOCA reflects the scale of the scam and the government's stance on dealing with those who orchestrated the leak.

The postponement of the TET 2026 exam has caused widespread disruption, leaving lakhs of candidates in a state of uncertainty as they wait for updates on the examination. The escalation of the investigation to an organized crime level aims to target the network behind the leak.

With the planned involvement of Chief Minister Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Shinde, the state administration is positioning the crackdown on the paper leak masterminds as a priority, shifting the legal focus from standard criminal charges to the more severe provisions under MCOCA.