Two key accused in TET paper leak case arrested
BHIWANDI: Two key accused allegedly linked to 168 prospective buyers of the leaked Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) question paper have been arrested, nearly two months after police busted the racket, with the SIT now probing the wider network and possible transactions. Police said Misal was in touch with around 50 people who had shown interest in buying the paper, while Shaw allegedly maintained a list of 118 prospective buyers. Both were produced before the Bhiwandi court and remanded in police custody till Sept 23. Last week, the SIT filed a 3,470-page chargesheet before the Bhiwandi fast-track court against those arrested earlier in the case.
With Misal and Shaw’s arrests, police said the two remaining prominent accused identified during the investigation have been apprehended. The two — Pune-based govt employee Prakash Misal and Bihar native Ashok Shaw, who was staying in Delhi — were among the remaining prominent accused identified during the probe. The list was recovered from his Delhi residence. Police suspect Shaw was directly linked to Solapur-based coaching-class operator Prakash Pawar, who has already been arrested, and was also in contact with alleged mastermind Bijendra Gupta. Further arrests will depend on findings from their contacts and financial transactions.
Police had busted the racket two days before the scheduled examination, forcing postponement of the TET. Shaw was arrested in Patna, Bihar, while Misal was arrested near Bhiwandi Naka on Sunday after police learnt he was planning to surrender before a court.
