Maharashtra police arrested three people following the discovery of a ₹1.5 crore [1] question-paper leak racket targeting the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026 [2].

The breach threatens the integrity of the state's teacher certification process and has forced officials to disrupt the examination schedule. Because the TET is a critical gateway for employment in the education sector, such scams undermine the meritocracy of the public school system.

Authorities conducted an early-morning raid at a hotel in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra [3]. During the operation, police apprehended three suspects [4], including two individuals who reportedly traveled from Haryana and Bihar [5]. Investigators said the accused brought the leaked papers from Delhi as part of a planned deal valued at ₹1.5 crore [1].

The timing of the raid occurred one day before the scheduled examination [6]. In response to the security breach, the Maharashtra TET 2026 was either cancelled or postponed [7]. Reports on the exact status of the exam vary between total cancellation and a temporary delay, though both outcomes prevent the compromised papers from being used.

Police said more arrests are likely as the probe intensifies [7]. The investigation is now focusing on how the papers were accessed and whether officials within the examination board were complicit in the leak. The operation in Bhiwandi is viewed as a primary step in dismantling a wider network designed to sell competitive exam answers to candidates.

This crackdown follows a pattern of increasing vigilance by Indian authorities to protect the validity of competitive examinations from organized crime rings.

“Three people arrested following the discovery of a ₹1.5 crore question-paper leak racket”

The disruption of the TET 2026 exam highlights the ongoing struggle between state examination boards and organized leak rackets that operate across state lines. By involving suspects from Haryana and Bihar and utilizing Delhi as a hub, the scam demonstrates a sophisticated, interstate logistics chain. The decision to cancel or postpone the test indicates that the leak was significant enough to render the original exam papers unreliable, necessitating a full reset of the testing process to ensure fair competition.