Raipur Agricultural University paper leak cracked in 36 hours, 6 arrested

Police arrested six people, including a professor, over the alleged leak of an Entomology question paper at Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur. The exam was cancelled and will be re-conducted in September.Raipur Agricultural University paper leak case cracked; 6 arrested, including professor (screengrab)Police have arrested six people, including a professor, in connection with the leak of the B.Sc. Agriculture second-year Entomology question paper at Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur.The question paper reportedly went viral on social media around two hours before the examination on August 20. Police said the case was cracked within approximately 36 hours of continuous investigation. Two other accused are still absconding.PAPER WENT VIRAL BEFORE AUGUST 20 EXAMThe BSc Agriculture second-year, second-semester examination for AGCH-221 (Entomology) was scheduled to be held on August 20, 2026, from 10 am to 1 pm across agricultural colleges affiliated with the university.At 8:41 am, Kawardha Agriculture College received an email informing it that the question paper had been leaked. Relevant officials were informed at around 8:54 am. Students and student representatives also alerted the university that content from the question paper was circulating on WhatsApp. The investigation confirmed that the paper was being disseminated on social media.A case was registered at Telibandha Police Station following a complaint by Dr NR Rangare, Senior Scientist and In-charge of the Undergraduate Examination Cell at the university.PROFESSOR ALLEGEDLY MADE A HOLE IN ENVELOPE TO RECORD PAPER According to the police, the prime accused is Professor Yogesh Sonkesariya, who has been serving at Bharti Agriculture College, Durg, since 2019.For nearly a year, he had been responsible for submitting college answer sheets and collecting question papers for upcoming examinations.On August 17, Sonkesariya went to the College of Agriculture in Jora, Raipur, to submit answer sheets and collect question papers for upcoming exams. Police said he took the envelope containing the AGCH-221 question paper home.According to the investigation, he allegedly made a small hole in the envelope using a needle and a sharp tool, inserted a mobile camera, and recorded a video of the question paper.QUESTION PAPER CONTENT ALLEGEDLY SOLD FOR Rs 11,000Police said the content of the question paper was copied and sold to students for Rs 11,000.Sonkesariya allegedly sold the question paper's content to Ajay Nayak, a student at his college, and two other students. Nayak then allegedly passed the paper to Tridev Patel, Nitin Pandey, Anuj Minj and Aditya Sahu.The question paper subsequently went viral on social media before the examination.SIX ARRESTED, TWO STILL ABSCONDINGThe investigation gained momentum after police received information about Anuj Minj, a resident of Durg. A police team apprehended him and began questioning him, following which separate teams were sent to Kabirdham, Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur and neighbouring districts.Police said the source of the leak and the identities of the accused were established after around 36 hours of investigation.The arrested accused are:Yogesh Sonkesariya, 38, from Seoni, Madhya PradeshAjay Nayak, 20, from Baloda BazarTridev Patel, 22, from MahasamundNitin Pandey, 22, from BastarAnuj Minj, 22, from JashpurAditya Sahu, 20, from BalodPolice recovered Rs 11,000 in cash, six mobile phones, a video recording device, cables, mobile connectors, needles, an awl, notebooks and Fevicol from the accused.Two other accused are still absconding, and police said searches are underway. Information about other people involved and their roles is also being gathered through the interrogation of those arrested.UNIVERSITY CANCELS EXAM, RE-TEST IN SEPTEMBERAround 1,200 students from 27 agricultural colleges across the state appeared for the Entomology examination.Following complaints that the question paper had circulated on social media before the test, the university administration cancelled the examination, citing the need to maintain the integrity of the exam. The cancelled examination will be re-conducted in the first week of September.Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai had earlier assured strict action, stating that there would be no compromise on the sanctity, transparency and credibility of examinations and that strict action would be taken against those attempting to compromise the examination process or jeopardise students' futures.(With reporter Mahendra Namdeo's inputs)- EndsPublished By: Karan YadavPublished On: Aug 24, 2026 11:37 IST