Irregularities in 2018 Maharashtra TET surfaced; police arrests ex-head of exam council

Pune: Pune Police have arrested Maharashtra State Council of Examination's (MSCE) former commissioner Sukhadev Dere in connection with alleged malpractices in the 2018 Teachers' Eligibility Test, an official said on Tuesday.

Dere was taken into custody late Monday night, based on information received by police during an ongoing investigation into the alleged irregularities in the 2020 Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET) in which MSCE commissioner Tukaram Supe was arrested last week, said the official from the Pune police's cyber and economic offences wing.

"A separate case has been registered against Dere for his alleged involvement in malpractices in the 2018 TET. Further investigation is going on," he said.

Supe and another person had been arrested by the Pune police for allegedly taking money to change the results of some candidates so that they can clear the TET, officials earlier said. The police had also recovered unaccounted cash and gold ornaments worth over Rs 2 crore from Supe, they said.

Also read | TET Exam Maharashtra 2021: Handle over the exam scam case to CBI, says Fadnavis

Following reports of alleged corruption in the Maharashtra TET exams, school education minister Varsha Gaikwad promised legal action against anyone found guilty. “We will not tolerate those who tamper with the future of children and teachers. I have ordered an inquiry under the additional chief secretary of school education to inquire into the matter,” said Gaikwad.

The alleged malpractices in the TET came to the light during the investigation into the bid to leak a paper of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) examination, in which six people have already been arrested, police said.