GUNTUR: In a major crackdown on examination malpractice, Guntur district police arrested 10 individuals, including a college principal, for their involvement in leaking a B.Ed. question paper.
The arrests followed a complaint from Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU) officials after the ‘Perspective in Child Development’ exam paper, scheduled for March 7, 2025, was found circulating on social media before the test.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Guntur Superintendent of Police (SP) Satish Kumar confirmed that the suspects, including key operators from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, were involved in an organised leak aimed at benefiting B.Ed. coaching centres.
The investigation was launched after Mannava Subba Rao, PG and Professional Courses Examination Coordinator, reported the leak, leading to a case being registered at Pedakakani police station.
The police traced the leak to Sri Vivekananda College of Education in Vinukonda, where the institution’s correspondent and director, Syed Rafiq Ahmed (62), allegedly collaborated with coaching centres in Odisha to leak exam papers and boost student pass rates.
On March 7, at 1:20 PM, the accused illegally accessed and distributed the paper via social media. Among those arrested was Dupati Suresh Kumar (40) from Palnadu district, who played a key role in forwarding the leaked content. Investigators also identified Dhara Swarna Raj (27) from Vinukonda as an accomplice in the operation.
Odisha-based suspects Santosh Kumar Sahu (46) from Angul, Bishnu Prasad Patro (47) from Ganjam, and Sukant Behera (45) from Cuttack were responsible for distributing the leaked paper among students. Purushottam Pradhan (27), Dhiren Kumar Sahu (30), Priyabatra Godai (23), and Milan Trishti (22), all from Odisha, were also arrested for facilitating the circulation of the leaked content.
SP Satish Kumar praised the swift action of DSP Murali Krishna and Pedakakani CI TP Narayanaswamy, whose efforts led to the arrests within two days. He warned of strict action against individuals involved in exam malpractice and assured continued vigilance to prevent future leaks. The investigation is ongoing, with further legal proceedings expected.