Police in Chhattisgarh have uncovered an unusual exam scam involving medical endoscopy equipment. Investigators arrested Yogesh Sonkesariya, a professor at Bharti Agriculture College in Durg. Officials also detained six students linked to the illegal operation. The syndicate leaked the entomology question paper for the BSc Agriculture second-year examination. The exam was conducted under Indira Gandhi Agricultural University (IGAU) in Raipur.
Sonkesariya allegedly bought a cheap endoscopy camera for Rs 2,500 specifically to commit the crime. He pierced a tiny hole in the sealed envelope using a needle. Next, he inserted the camera wire into the packet to capture video footage of the printed pages. He connected the device to his mobile phone and wrote down 18 visible questions within an hour. The professor then resealed the hole using glue before returning the package to conceal the breach.
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Financial Motive and the Distribution Chain
The investigation revealed that financial difficulties drove the academic to plan the breach. Sonkesariya holds an MTech degree in agriculture and earned a monthly salary of Rs 20,000. His official duties included transporting official university examination documents.
He tested his method during an earlier ATKT backlog examination. He sold that preliminary paper to a student named Ajay Nayak for Rs 10,000. Encouraged by the initial success, Sonkesariya targeted the primary entomology examination scheduled for August 20. He sold the new set of questions to Nayak for Rs 11,000.
Nayak subsequently resold the document to fellow student Tridev Patel for the same amount. Patel then distributed the content to Nitin Pandey, Anuj Minj, and Aditya Sahu for Rs 2,000 each. The questions quickly spread across social media groups via WhatsApp screenshots. The viral leak forced university officials to cancel the test across 28 affiliated colleges.
Cyber Investigation Unravels the Syndicate Network
The Chhattisgarh paper leak case came to light when college administrators received early morning emails alerting them to the circulating images. Local law enforcement formed a special cyber crime unit to trace the digital trail. Senior investigators analyzed call detail records, bank transaction logs, UPI payment records, and location data.
Cyber specialists tracked the first public forward to student Anuj Minj in Durg. Interrogations quickly exposed the remaining links in the distribution chain, leading directly back to Professor Sonkesariya. Police seized Rs 11,000 in cash, six mobile phones, the endoscopic camera apparatus, and glue adhesives from the suspects.
Authorities registered cases under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for criminal breach of trust and the Chhattisgarh Public Examination Act. The university management immediately suspended the involved faculty member and college leadership pending formal disciplinary proceedings.