Hyderabad: The Crime Investigation Department (CID) has commenced an inquiry into allegations of a question paper leak at Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agriculture University (PJTAU) after varsity officials lodged a complaint. A preliminary inquiry revealed that the question paper was first leaked at a college in Warangal, after which students from other districts also gained access to it. CID officials said the issue came to light after the vice-chancellor and dean of PJTAU visited Jagtial for a surprise check at a local agriculture college. Scrutiny of CCTV footage led officials to suspect the role of a student.“Based on the footage, an internal inquiry was ordered. We then came to know that a few students had conspired and managed to illegally access a question paper that was set for the third-year first semester exams,” varsity officials said.“The leaked question paper was circulated by students on WhatsApp. After these students were questioned, it emerged that J Karthik, a junior assistant at the Warangal Agriculture College, played a key role in leaking the paper,” officials told police in the inquiry. Officials said the junior assistant, who was tasked with making photocopies of question papers, had taken photographs of a question paper on his mobile phone. He later offered to share the pictures with the students, who then pooled money and transferred 1.40 lakh to Karthik for the pictures. Varsity officials, in their complaint to CID, said they suspect that the accused might might have committed similar offences in the past. CID officials brought in Karthik for questioning. No arrests have been made in the case yet, officials said.
