Endoscopic camera, ₹11,000 deal: How a professor leaked exam paper in Chhattisgarh, students among 6 held

A professor and five students have been arrested in Chhattisgarh ’s Durg in connection with the alleged leak of an BSc. entomology question paper of Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV), with police claiming that the professor used an endoscopic camera to photograph the paper after secretly opening its sealed envelope.

The question paper for the second-year BSc Agriculture entomology examination was cancelled on August 20 after the university received information that questions were circulating before the test.

The examination was scheduled from 10 am to 1 pm at 28 agriculture colleges affiliated with IGKV.

Also Read | SC notice to Centre, states on plea to confiscate property of offenders in paper leak cases

Deputy commissioner of police (crime and cyber) Smruthik Rajanala said the accused were arrested within 36 hours of the complaint being received.

The cyber team examined the leaked paper, screenshots, photographs, messages and social media posts and traced its circulation to Anuj Minj, a student from Durg, police said.

Investigators subsequently arrested Yogesh Sonkesariya, a professor at Bharti Agriculture College in Durg, along with five students. The students were identified as Ajay Nayak, 20, Tridev Patel, 22, Nitin Pandey, 22, Anuj Minj, 22, and Aditya Sahu, 20.

According to the complaint filed by N R Rangare, senior scientist and in-charge of IGKV’s undergraduate examination cell, an email claiming that the paper had been leaked was received by the Agriculture College and Research Centre in Kawardha at 8.41 am on August 20. Other university officials received a similar email at 8.54 am.

Also Read | ₹ 1 cr fine proposed">Chhattisgarh: Bill aimed a curbing exam malpractices passed; 10 years jail, ₹ 1 cr fine proposed

Police registered a case against unidentified persons under the Chhattisgarh Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2008, and Section 316 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to criminal breach of trust.

The professor allegedly sold the captured paper for ₹ 11,000 to Ajay Nayak and two other students, following which the questions were shared with other students, police said.

Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues.