Mumbai, June 27: The Maharashtra State Council of Examinations (MSCE) on Saturday abruptly cancelled the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026, which was scheduled to be held on Sunday. The decision comes after a joint raid by the Bhiwandi Police exposed a major question paper leak just a day before the statewide examination.

The exam was set to take place across 1,028 centres in Maharashtra. Council officials stated that the postponement was necessary to maintain absolute transparency and fairness for all candidates. The postponement of TET has thrown the future of over 428,122 candidates in limbo and sparked widespread outrage across the state.

According to an official release, Intelligence agencies received confidential information in the early hours of Saturday indicating that a group of individuals in Bhiwandi (Thane district) had unauthorised access to the TET question papers.

Acting swiftly on the tip-off, a team from the Bhiwandi Police Department raided the location. During the operation, law enforcement personnel detained several suspects and seized incriminating materials.

Senior officials from the MSCE were immediately summoned to the spot by the police to verify the seized documents.

Upon a detailed cross-examination, officials discovered a definitive match as the questions found in the possession of the detained individuals were identical to the questions drafted for the actual June 2026 Teacher Eligibility Test.

Following the confirmation of the breach, an official First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Bhiwandi Police Station against the accused individuals. Taking a serious note of the security lapse, the MSCE decided to call off Sunday’s exam to ensure a thorough, comprehensive probe.

The Education Department and Thane Police have launched a high-level joint investigation to trace the mastermind behind the leak, map out how the security protocol was breached, and determine if any internal Board officials were involved.

The MSCE has assured candidates that a fresh date for the Maharashtra TET 2026 will be finalised soon. All updates regarding the rescheduled examination dates and revised guidelines will be published directly on the official website of the Maharashtra State Council of Examinations.

An extensive investigation is currently underway to identify the mastermind behind the leak and determine if any internal network or printing press was compromised, said the MSCE release.

The MAHA TET is a mandatory benchmark for candidates aspiring to teach in primary (Classes 1–5) and upper primary (Classes 6–8) schools across Maharashtra.

A total of 4,28,122 candidates had registered to take the exam in two separate sessions across the state. Many applicants had already travelled long distances to reach their designated exam centres, only to be met with the news of the sudden cancellation.

The cancellation has led to massive frustration among aspirants, drawing sharp parallels to recent nationwide controversies surrounding the NEET and UGC-NET paper leaks.

Candidates are demanding stricter implementation of anti-paper leak laws and immediate accountability from the education department.

Virar, June 27: A shocking case of alleged gang-rape involving a 40-year-old woman has come to light in the Dongarpada area of Virar West. Acting on the victim’s complaint, the police have registered a case against two named individuals and one unidentified person and have initiated an investigation.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the incident occurred between 2:46 A.M. and 4:30 A.M. on June 24. The complainant alleged that Tejas, Deepak, and an unidentified accomplice acted in collusion. They allegedly took her to a secluded lane in Dongarpada and forcibly gang-raped her.

Based on the victim’s complaint, an FIR was initially registered against the three accused at the Virar Police Station under Section 70(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). As the incident falls within the jurisdiction of the Bolinj Police Station, the case has been transferred there for further investigation. Police officials are currently conducting a detailed probe into the matter.

In a separate incident reported earlier in September 2025, a 17-year-old girl from Kalyan in Maharashtra’s Thane district was allegedly raped by seven men in their twenties over a period of five months. Officials stated that the abuse began after one of the men befriended her on social media.

The crime surfaced when the victim’s family discovered objectionable videos of her circulating online. All seven accused were arrested and produced before a local court, which remanded them in police custody.

The victim, a college student, first met the primary accused on Instagram in April 2025. Their friendship soon developed into a relationship. He secretly recorded their sexual encounters without her consent and shared the objectionable footage with six of his friends, according to an official from the Mahatma Phule police station.

These six friends belonged to affluent families in the Murbad and Bhiwandi areas of the district. The group started blackmailing the minor, demanding sexual favors and threatening to post the videos on social media platforms if she did not give in to their demands.

Patna, June 27: Several incidents, including electrocution, a fatal stabbing, and clashes during Muharram processions, were reported from different parts of Bihar on Friday, prompting heightened security arrangements in several districts.

Three youths sustained severe burn injuries after coming into contact with live electric wires during a Muharram Tazia procession in Dhandhar village under the Wazirganj police station area of Gaya district.

The injured have been identified as Mohammad Asgar, Mohammad Kamaluddin, and Mohammad Umar Ali.

All three belong to Bhareti village. Mohammad Asgar is reported to be in critical condition and has been referred to a higher medical centre for specialised treatment, while the other two are undergoing treatment at a local health facility.

Following the incident, electricity supply along the route was immediately disconnected, and police officials reached the spot to restore order.

The procession, which was briefly halted, later resumed peacefully.

Station House Officer of Wazirganj Police Station, Neeraj Kumar, stated that the injured youths were receiving treatment and that no further untoward incident occurred.

Local residents, however, expressed concern over the presence of low-hanging power lines along the procession route and demanded greater precautions in the future.

In another incident, a youth identified as Md. Javed, a resident of Gopalpur village, died after being stabbed during a Muharram gathering at Bhutta Chowk under the Kalyanpur police station area in Samastipur district.

According to preliminary investigations, an altercation reportedly broke out between two individuals during an akhada performance.

The dispute allegedly continued away from the procession site, where the victim was stabbed.

Police suspect that an earlier dispute between the two individuals may have led to the incident.

Sadar DSP-II Sanjay Kumar stated that the accused has been identified and police teams are conducting raids to apprehend him.

A separate incident occurred at Karbala Maidan near Jogbani in Araria district, close to the Indo-Nepal border.

A Tazia procession arriving from the Rani area of Nepal sought to join the Indian procession.

Security personnel reportedly denied entry due to law-and-order concerns, after which tensions escalated.

Reports of stone-pelting led to panic and temporary chaos in the area.

Some shops were damaged, although authorities have not officially confirmed injuries to any individual.

Police and security agencies, including the SSB, deployed additional forces to the sensitive border area and restored normalcy.

Jogbani SHO Mahadev Kamat stated that investigations are underway and that legal action will be taken against those found responsible.

Authorities have increased security arrangements in several districts, including Gaya, Araria, Muzaffarpur, Patna, and Katihar, following reports of isolated disturbances during Muharram observances.

Police and administrative officials have appealed to residents to maintain peace and avoid spreading or believing rumours circulating on social media.

The administration has also indicated that preventive measures, particularly regarding crowd management and electrical safety along procession routes, will be reviewed to avoid similar incidents in the future.