Mumbai, June 27 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to launch a thorough probe into the alleged irregularities into the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) which was scheduled to be held in the state on Sunday.

The SIT will be led by Thane Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Panjabrao Ugale, a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer known for his extensive experience in crime investigation and anti-corruption units.

The newly formed SIT under Joint CP Ugale is expected to unravel the entire nexus behind the TET irregularities.

The scope of the investigation will primarily focus on identifying the kingpins, intermediaries, and any internal department officials involved in tampering with exam results, tracing potential financial trails and monetary exchanges made for qualifying certificates and reviewing past examination data to establish the scale and timeline of the malpractice.

The Chief Minister’s directive comes hours after the Maharashtra State Council of Examinations (MSCE) has abruptly postponed the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026, which was scheduled to be held on Sunday.

It was done after a joint raid by the Bhiwandi police exposed a major question paper leak just a day before the state-wide examination.

The exam was set to take place across 1,028 centres in Maharashtra.

Council officials said that the postponement was necessary to maintain absolute transparency and fairness for all candidates.

The postponement of TET has thrown the future of more than 428,122 candidates into limbo and sparked widespread outrage across the state.

The decision follows growing concerns over malpractice and manipulation within the state’s teacher recruitment examinations.

Taking a firm stance on the matter, Chief Minister Fadnavis held high-level discussions with School Education Minister Dada Bhuse and Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) Sadanand Date to assess the depth of the irregularities.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister explicitly directed the Maharashtra Police Chief and the Education Ministry to ensure that the culprits face the absolute strictest legal action. There will be zero tolerance for any malpractice that compromises the integrity of our educational recruitment system and toys with the future of honest candidates,” government sources said.

Chief Minister Fadnavis directed the state’s top police officer to enforce the absolute strictest punitive action against anyone involved in the malpractice, asserting that no culprits should be spared.

Maharashtra School Education Minister Dada Bhuse has assured complete cooperation from the Education department, noting that structural loopholes are being actively reviewed to prevent such leaks and manipulations in the future.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also reacted strongly to the development, suggesting that the masterminds of the operation should face charges under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

Describing the postponement as a necessary measure to protect the sanctity and transparency of the recruitment process, the MSCE has urged candidates not to panic.

The Council assured the public that a fresh timeline and revised dates for the TET 2026 examination will be published on its official website as soon as the preliminary investigation yields more clarity.

–IANS

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