Nagpur police registered a case at Sadar police station over a suspected leak of the Maharashtra State Board Class 12 Chemistry exam paper. The incident unfolded February 18 at a high school exam center in the city, where invigilators spotted a female student making repeated trips to the washroom.

Suspicion led them to seize her smartphone. An examination of the device revealed the full Chemistry question paper posted in a WhatsApp group well before the exam started at 11 a.m., officials said Saturday. The group also included what appeared to be suggested answers.

Invigilators questioned the student and another individual on site. Preliminary findings point to someone connected with a private coaching center who shared the paper for payment, according to police. Officers continue to probe how the paper reached the group and who else might be involved.

The Maharashtra Higher Secondary Certificate exams, underway across the state since February, have drawn scrutiny for cheating attempts. This leak marks one of the most direct breaches reported so far in Nagpur, a key exam hub.

Separate mass copying incidents have prompted suspensions of at least 39 exam staff as of February 19. Those cases surfaced during English language papers in Beed, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Jalna districts.

In Beed’s Arts and Science Junior College at Chausala, an FIR named 19 people after students copied openly in the classroom. Reports indicate the supervisor and center director either aided or overlooked the activity.

A similar episode hit Rashtriya Higher Secondary School in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’s Jaitapur area. Police filed charges against 24 individuals when copying became evident, with the center director and supervisor implicated.

Jalna saw mass copying at three locations: schools in Rohilagad, Shahgad and Ankushnagar. Authorities suspended staff in all three districts to curb further malpractice.

Maharashtra education officials have ramped up oversight at exam centers statewide. The board conducts HSC exams for over 1.4 million students annually, with Chemistry among the core science papers tested mid-February.

Police in Nagpur aim to identify the coaching center link and prevent similar leaks. No arrests have been announced, but the investigation targets group administrators and recipients who accessed the paper.

Students caught with leaked material face disqualification, while facilitators risk criminal charges under exam integrity laws. The board has not commented on rescheduling the Chemistry exam, held without disruption despite the early leak attempt.

Cheating scandals have plagued board exams in recent years, prompting tighter security like signal jammers and frisking protocols. In this case, quick action by invigilators limited the paper’s spread, officials noted.