Prayagraj (UP), March 1 (IANS): Hours after an FIR was lodged in Fatehpur Sikri in Agra over the leakage of a question paper of intermediate biology and mathematics subject for Class 12, the Secondary Education officials on Friday denied the ‘paper leak’.

Additional chief secretary (secondary education) Deepak Kumar and UP Board secretary Divyakant Shukla said, “It was one and a half hours after the exam started that the paper was shared on WhatsApp. The paper starts at 2 and it was shared around 3.15 pm.”

Board secretary Dibyakant Shukla said: “If a paper is floated on WhatsApp after an hour of the commencement of the exam, how can this be termed as ‘leak’, but still, we are probing the case.”

Dibyakant Shukla said the joint director of education, Directorate of Education, Prayagraj, Mukesh Agarwal, informed that the paper was posted on the WhatsApp group named 'All Principles Agra' by a person named Vinay Choudhary.

He further said an FIR has been lodged against Chaudhary and other persons.

Earlier, Mukesh Agrawal had said, "We have formed a committee after the incident, and accordingly directed the officials concerned to take necessary steps in this regard. Legal action will be taken against those who have done this act."