Two students of a private engineering college near Garia have been arrested for allegedly leaking a question paper of the fourth semester exams.

Police said the accused are Utkarsh Raj, a first-year student, and Pratik Ranjan, of second year. Both are from Bihar.

The question paper that the two were allegedly involved in leaking was of environmental studies.

Once the test started on Saturday, Ranjan allegedly sought permission to step out of the examination hall on the pretext of keeping his bag outside.

“He then shared the photograph of the question paper with a first-year student using a mobile phone,” said an officer of Narendrapur police station, under which falls the area where the private college is located.

“After some time, Ranjan again sought permission to step out, this time to go to the washroom. Once outside, he contacted the first-year student again and received the answers to the questions over phone,” the officer said.

The second-year student was allegedly caught copying answers from the phone. The matter was reported to the police.

“We found during the investigation that Raj and Ranjan were involved in leaking the questions and collecting answers with the help of mobile phones. They were produced in the Baruipur criminal court on Sunday,” said a senior police officer of the Baruipur police directorate.

The college is affiliated to the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology.

Parthapratim Lahiri, the registrar of the university, said: “The irregularities could be tracked down after the examination controller’s office at the university spotted it (the alleged cheating) and alerted the college authorities. Our examination board and the office of the controller of examinations will decide whether any other measures need to be taken against the two students.”

Police officers said the mobile phones of both students have been seized and will be sent for forensic tests to extract digital evidence.

“Mobile phones are important in these types of crimes. The crime was committed using mobile phones,” said a senior police officer.

Sources said the investigators are checking whether the students have any criminal record.

They have been remanded to police custody for two days.