Raipur: In an unprecedented case of high-tech academic fraud, the Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit of the Raipur Police has arrested six individuals, including a private college professor and five students, for allegedly breaching the sealed question paper envelopes of the state-run Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV). The alleged mastermind, identified as 38-year-old Yogesh Sonkesariya, a faculty member at Bharti Agriculture College in Durg, deployed a miniature surgical endoscope camera and needle to photograph the questions without breaking the outer postal seals. Readers tracking national examination security reforms can access comprehensive investigative reporting on our education and crime desk portal.

High-Tech Modus Operandi: Needle and Endoscope Camera

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Cyber) Smruthik Rajanala and DCP (Central Zone) Tarkeshwar Patel, the security breach occurred ahead of the August 20 B.Sc. (Agriculture) second-year Entomology examination (AENT 221 - Pest Management in Crops and Stored Grains). Sonkesariya, who had been tasked with collecting exam bundles from the central agriculture college in Jora, Raipur, took the sealed Entomology packet to his residence instead of depositing it directly in the college strongroom.

Investigators revealed that the accused used a needle and a sharp instrument to puncture a microscopic hole along the corner seam of the sealed envelope. He then inserted a thin, high-resolution endoscope camera—typically utilized in medical exploratory procedures—to illuminate and record the single-page question paper inside. After transcribing approximately 15 questions, he resealed the puncture point with adhesive glue to conceal any visible signs of physical tampering.

WhatsApp Circulation and Immediate Exam Cancellation

The leak surfaced on the morning of August 20 when leaked question transcripts circulated across student WhatsApp groups barely two hours prior to the scheduled 10:00 AM exam commencement. The Agriculture College and Research Centre at Kawardha received an alerting email at 8:41 AM, prompting IGKV authorities to compare the viral text with the master paper. Upon confirming an identical match, the university cancelled the examination across all 28 affiliated colleges in Chhattisgarh, impacting over 1,500 candidates.

36-Hour Cyber Operation and Seizures

Following a formal complaint filed by IGKV Controller of Examinations Dr. N. R. Rangare under the Chhattisgarh Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2008 and Section 316 (criminal breach of trust) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), a multi-district task force comprising over 100 police personnel tracked digital footprints across Durg, Raipur, Bilaspur, and Kabirdham.

Investigators traced the initial digital distribution point to a student named Anuj Minj, leading to the arrest of the professor and five students: Ajay Nayak (20), Tridev Patel (22), Nitin Pandey (22), Anuj Minj (22), and Aditya Sahu (20). Police seized ₹11,000 in cash, six smartphones, an endoscopic video-recording unit, data connectors, and adhesive tools used during the breach. Authorities are also investigating if the same syndicate compromised an earlier Plant Pathology examination held on August 7.