TET Paper Leak Probe: Solapur Coaching Institute Operator Becomes First Maharashtra-Based Arrest; 26 Students’ Documents Recovered In Bihar

Bhiwandi: The investigation into the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak has taken a significant turn with the arrest of a Solapur-based competitive examination coaching institute operator the first arrest from Maharashtra in the case.

Bhiwandi Police have arrested Prakash Pawar, 45 who operates Dhruv Academy in Solapur. Pawar was called for questioning after his name emerged during the investigation and was subsequently arrested following the questioning. He was produced before a court on Tuesday, which remanded him to police custody till August 15.

The arrest assumes significance as the investigation had earlier resulted in arrests in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. With Pawar's arrest, investigators are now examining the Maharashtra link and attempting to establish the extent of the alleged interstate network.

According to information gathered during the probe, Dhruv Academy provides coaching for police recruitment and various competitive examinations, including TET preparation.

26 Maharashtra students' original documents recovered in Bihar

The Maharashtra angle gained further significance after the Special Investigation Team (SIT), during a search in Samastipur, Bihar, recovered original educational documents belonging to 26 students from different districts of Maharashtra.

The search was conducted at the Samastipur premises of Inderjit Singh Piku, who was arrested along with alleged mastermind Bijender Gupta in Bihar on July 25.

The recovered documents included Class 10 and Class 12 marksheets and certificates, graduation marksheets and certificates, B.Ed. and D.Ed.-related certificates, domicile certificates issued from different districts of Maharashtra and other important original documents.

The recovery has led investigators to examine how the original documents of students from Maharashtra reached an accused in Samastipur and what purpose they were intended to serve.

ACP: Documents allegedly pledged against leaked TET paper

ACP Vijay Marathe said the investigation so far has indicated that the certificates recovered from the accused were allegedly pledged by Pawar against the leaked TET paper.

According to Marathe, the preliminary investigation indicates that candidates were allegedly required to provide their original documents as security, with the documents to be returned after payment was made for the leaked question paper.

The police have issued notices to several students whose documents were recovered and are questioning them to establish how their original certificates reached the accused.

According to the ACP, some students told investigators that they had studied at Pawar's academy and that the documents recovered by the police belonged to them.

Police are now verifying the statements of these students and examining the circumstances in which their original educational documents were handed over.

Investigators are also trying to determine whether all the documents were collected specifically in connection with the TET paper or whether any were obtained for other examination-related purposes.

Pawar's previous alleged paper-leak link under scanner

Police sources said Pawar's role is also being examined in connection with an alleged police recruitment examination paper leak case from a few years ago.

The police are verifying the earlier case and examining whether there is any connection between Pawar's alleged activities in the previous case and the present TET paper leak investigation.

Officials are also scrutinising financial transactions, communications and links between Pawar and other accused persons arrested in the current case.

16 accused arrested so far

The Bhiwandi Police and SIT have so far arrested 16 accused persons, including the alleged mastermind, in the TET paper leak case.

The investigation began after Bhiwandi Police arrested three accused with TET question paper sets on June 27, leading to the discovery of the alleged wider paper-leak network.

Following the initial arrests, Bhiwandi Police and SIT teams conducted searches and investigations in Delhi, Bihar, Haryana and Agra in Uttar Pradesh. The probe subsequently led to a series of arrests as investigators attempted to trace the alleged movement of the question paper and identify those involved in its procurement, transportation and attempted sale.

The investigation also revealed alleged links to Maharashtra, with some accused reportedly travelling to Bhiwandi in connection with the alleged sale or distribution of the leaked paper.

Police widen probe to alleged buyers

As the investigation progresses, the police are now looking beyond those allegedly involved in leaking and supplying the question paper.

The SIT is also attempting to identify people who allegedly sought to purchase or obtain the leaked paper. Investigators believe that tracing the alleged buyers could help establish the final links of the network and determine how far the operation extended across Maharashtra and other states.

The police are also examining the Pune connection involving arrested accused Kapil Dahiya and his associates.

15 accused sent to judicial custody

The police custody of 15 accused persons in the case was scheduled until August 5. After completion of their police remand, the court sent all 15 accused to judicial custody till August 17.

Pawar's arrest has now provided investigators with a direct Maharashtra-based lead. The SIT is questioning him about his alleged contacts with other accused, the students whose documents were recovered and his possible role in the alleged paper-leak network.

The recovery of original documents belonging to 26 Maharashtra students from Samastipur has added a significant new dimension to the investigation.

Investigators are now working to establish the complete chain linking Pawar, the Bihar-based accused and the students whose documents were recovered.

The key questions before the SIT are how the original documents travelled from Maharashtra to Samastipur, whether they were collected as security for the alleged purchase of the leaked TET paper, and whether other candidates or intermediaries were involved.

With the first arrest from Maharashtra, the investigation is expected to intensify across the state as police attempt to identify other possible links, alleged buyers and beneficiaries of the network.

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