4 min learnRaipurAug 23, 2026 06:12 AM IST
Raipur police Saturday arrested six folks, together with a professor recognized because the alleged mastermind, in reference to the leak of the B.Sc. (Agriculture) second-year, second-semester Entomology examination paper of Indira Gandhi Agricultural College (IGAU) on August 20.
The alleged mastermind, 38-year-old Yogesh Sonkesariya, is a professor at Bharti Agriculture Faculty in Durg, the place he has been employed since 2019. Below the college’s protocol, professors are entrusted with carrying examination papers from the principle agricultural faculty to their respective establishments and submitting reply sheets after examinations.
An FIR has been registered towards the accused beneath Sections 4, 5 and 10 of the Chhattisgarh Public Examination Act, 2008, and Part 316 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
On August 17, three days earlier than the paper leak, he got here to the Agricultural Faculty at Jora, Raipur, to submit reply sheets from his faculty. After submitting them, he collected query papers for examinations scheduled over the next week, together with the Entomology paper. Nevertheless, as a substitute of submitting the Entomology paper to his faculty authorities on return, he took it dwelling — a safety lapse confirmed by each police and college officers.
Sonkesariya then bought a skinny endoscope digicam, made a small gap within the sealed envelope utilizing a needle and copied roughly 15 questions by figuring out and ordering phrases seen by the system.
A day earlier than the examination, he bought the paper to 3 college students from his faculty, together with Ajay Nayak, for Rs 11,000. Nayak allegedly handed it on to Tridev Patel, Nitin Pandey, Anuj Minj and Aditya Sahu — all college students of Bharti Agriculture Faculty. Two extra suspects are wished within the case.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone) Tarkeshwar Patel mentioned the investigation established the supply of the leak and the identities of all accused after 36 hours of steady area and technical work. “Throughout the investigation, we traced Anuj Minj of Durg and despatched a crew to apprehend him. Data from his questioning led to additional deployments throughout Kabirdham, Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur and close by districts,” he mentioned. Police seized Rs 11,000 in money, six cellphones, a video-recording system, cable wires, a cell connector, a needle, a pointy instrument, a pocket book and adhesive from the accused.
Story continues under this advert
The leak got here to mild on the morning of the examination. At round 8:41 am, The Agricultural Faculty and Analysis Centre, Kawardha, acquired an e-mail alerting it to the leaked paper. College officers approached the police, and the examination — scheduled from 10 am to 1 pm throughout all 28 agricultural schools beneath IGAU, with round 1,200 college students showing — was cancelled that night. A re-examination has been introduced.
Following the leak, the college revised its protocol for Saturday’s first-year examination. Registrar Dr Kapil Dev Deepak mentioned the query paper was despatched by e-mail, accessible solely by a One-Time Password (OTP) shortly earlier than the examination. “It’s a lapse on the a part of the faculty. We’re taking solutions from the police and a committee has been constituted to enhance the system,” he mentioned.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Cyber) Smritik Rajnala mentioned greater than 100 police personnel had been deployed throughout groups despatched to Kabirdham, Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur and adjoining districts. “Our crew analysed the leaked paper, screenshots, images, messages and social media posts. Investigators examined the timeline of the paper’s circulation, together with which account, cell quantity or digital platform had first disseminated it. Suspicious social media accounts, cell numbers, teams and digital contacts had been technically examined, together with the actions and areas of individuals linked to the digital proof,” he mentioned.
Police are persevering with to query these arrested in regards to the involvement of others, and the 2 absconding suspects are being traced.
