A professor and five students of a private agricultural college in Chhattisgarh's Durg district have been arrested in connection with the alleged leak of an Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV) examination paper, with police saying an endoscopic camera was allegedly used to capture questions from a sealed envelope.
The case concerns the BSc Agriculture second-year Entomology examination, which was scheduled across 28 colleges affiliated with IGKV on August 20. The university cancelled the examination after receiving information about the alleged leak before the paper was due to be conducted.
Six Arrested in Case
Police have arrested six people, including a professor and five students of a private college in Durg.
The accused professor has been identified as Yogesh Sonkesariya, while the five students were also taken into custody as part of the investigation. Police said the arrests were made within 36 hours of receiving the complaint.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has confirmed the arrests and said strict action would be taken in the case. The investigation remains underway to determine whether others were involved.
Endoscopic Camera Used
The most unusual aspect of the investigation is the alleged use of an endoscopic camera to obtain the question paper.
According to police, the professor allegedly created a small opening in the sealed packaging using tools and inserted the miniature camera to capture images of the questions without completely breaking the official seal.
Investigators say the captured questions were subsequently circulated to students.
The use of specialised recording equipment has raised serious questions about security procedures surrounding examination papers.
Entomology Paper Cancelled
The leaked paper was for Agricultural Entomology, a BSc Agriculture second-year subject.
The examination was scheduled from 10 am to 1 pm on August 20 across 28 agriculture colleges affiliated with IGKV. A complaint about the alleged leak reached university authorities before the examination began.
The university subsequently cancelled the examination. Earlier reports said the rescheduled examination would be conducted in the first week of September.
The cancellation affected students who had prepared for the scheduled examination and created uncertainty over the university's examination process.
Complaint Triggered Probe
According to the police investigation, the matter came to light after a complaint was received by the university.
The Agriculture College and Research Centre at Kawardha reportedly received an email at around 8:41 am on August 20 alleging that the question paper had been leaked. A further communication was received by concerned officials shortly afterwards.
The university initiated an inquiry, while police subsequently registered a case and began investigating the source of the leaked material.
Questions Allegedly Sold
Investigators allege that the professor was the main accused and mastermind and that the leaked questions were provided to students for money.
Reports citing the police investigation say the accused allegedly sold 15 questions to the students and that money was exchanged as part of the arrangement.
Police also reportedly recovered cash, mobile phones and recording-related equipment from the accused. Two other students allegedly connected to the case were reported to be absconding, with efforts underway to locate them.
These allegations will be subject to further investigation and judicial proceedings.
Examination Security Under Lens
The case has raised concerns about the security of examination papers at universities and affiliated colleges.
The alleged method involved accessing a sealed paper without apparently opening it completely, highlighting potential vulnerabilities in the storage and handling of question papers.
The incident also raises questions about how examination material is transported, stored and accessed before papers reach authorised examination centres.
Investigation Continues
Police are continuing to investigate whether more people were involved in the alleged paper-leak network.
Authorities are expected to examine digital devices, recordings, financial transactions and communications between the accused students and the professor as part of the investigation.
The university's examination authorities will also have to ensure adequate safeguards before the cancelled examination is conducted again.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
The investigation will focus on establishing the complete chain of events — from access to the sealed question paper to the alleged recording, distribution and purchase of the questions.
The rescheduled BSc Agriculture Entomology examination will also be closely watched by students after the original test was cancelled following the leak allegations.
For IGKV, the immediate priority will be protecting the integrity of upcoming examinations and preventing further unauthorised access to question papers.
EDUCATION TAKEAWAY
The IGKV paper leak case has emerged as a major examination-security controversy in Chhattisgarh after a professor and five students were arrested.
The alleged use of an endoscopic camera to capture questions from a sealed envelope makes the case particularly significant and raises concerns about the security of examination material.
With the investigation continuing and other suspected individuals reportedly being traced, the case could lead to further arrests and scrutiny of examination-security procedures at affiliated colleges.
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