Chargesheet links leak to Agra press; accused hid papers in footwear to bypass frisking
A chargesheet filed by Thane City police in a Bhiwandi court has identified an Agra-based printing firm as the source of a leak of question papers for the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), saying workers allegedly concealed folded question papers in shoe insoles to evade security checks.
The nearly 3,500-page chargesheet, submitted on Friday, names 18 accused including the man police describe as the alleged mastermind, Bijendra Gupta. Sixteen suspects have been arrested, while two accomplices, Ashok Sav and Prakash Misal, remain absconding, the document says. A supplementary chargesheet will be filed as investigation proceeds, a senior police officer was quoted as saying in the chargesheet.
"The source of the leak was traced to Mahim Patran Pvt. Ltd., an Agra-based printing press," the chargesheet says, according to the Thane City police filing.
According to the chargesheet, the alleged conspiracy unfolded in mid-June. Between June 15 and June 17, two employees and a former staffer of the press purportedly folded sets of confidential question papers and concealed them inside shoe insoles. They then walked out past security guards who frisked clothing but did not check footwear, the document states.
Police say the racket came to light a day before the exam, scheduled on June 28, when Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II) Pavan Bansod received a tip-off about three men attempting to sell examination papers to a Bhiwandi resident. A trap was laid by police using decoy purchasers in Kongaon; the suspects were detained and four sets of question papers were seized. Verification with officials of the Maharashtra State Council of Examination (MSCE) confirmed the seized material matched the actual question paper.
Charges and probe
The accused have been charged under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy, along with state-level laws on examination malpractices and unfair means. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the matter, the chargesheet notes.
The filing links the operation to a broader organised effort: police named Bijendra Gupta as the alleged mastermind and noted his previous implication in an Odisha paper leak. The chargesheet lists multiple accused and outlines how the printing firm's employees allegedly exploited lax frisking procedures to remove confidential material.
Local implications for Agra
The naming of Mahim Patran Pvt. Ltd. — based in Agra — in the chargesheet places scrutiny on security practices at local firms contracted for sensitive government printing. The case raises questions about:
- security and vetting protocols at printing units handling confidential material;
- the scope of internal controls and supervision of staff entrusted with sensitive jobs; and
- how employers and local authorities will cooperate with investigators and regulators in follow-up checks.
Officials in Thane have said further details will emerge as the SIT continues its inquiry and supplementary filings are prepared. The chargesheet record shows the case spans actions in Maharashtra and activities linked to personnel and a firm in Uttar Pradesh.
| Key dates | Event |
|---|---|
| June 15–17 | Alleged concealment of papers at Agra press |
| June 27 | Tip-off received; trap laid in Kongaon |
| June 28 | Scheduled date of TET examination |
| 19 September | Chargesheet submitted in Bhiwandi court |
The probe, as recorded in the chargesheet, will examine the roles of the arrested individuals and seek to locate the two absconding accused. It will also assess whether the leak involved additional contacts, intermediaries or distribution channels beyond the persons already identified.
For Agra, the development has layered consequences: a local firm is implicated in an interstate examination breach, potentially inviting regulatory scrutiny and legal action; employees and management face criminal investigation; and the city’s printing industry may come under tighter oversight by government agencies involved in examination security.
Thane police have indicated that further action, including supplementary filings and arrests, may follow as the SIT builds its case and traces the full network behind the alleged leak.
