The question paper of the first-year MBBS anatomy examination at Patna Medical College was leaked on WhatsApp on Friday.

WhatsApp is a cross-platform mobile messaging app that allows one to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS.

The Aryabhatt Knowledge University (AKU), under which Patna Medical College and Hospital functions, refused to take notice of the leak of the first-year MBBS anatomy paper.

The paper was of three-hour duration but the question paper was "leaked" by someone an hour after the examination had commenced. The one who leaked the paper used WhatsApp, indicating that mobile phones were present inside the examination hall even though it's banned inside the venue.

AKU vice-chancellor A.K. Agrawal refused to accept that the paper was leaked on Friday. "According to the information available with us, the question paper got out of the centre an hour after the examination had started. The examination started at 10.30am and the paper was leaked around 11.30am. 'Leak' is not the appropriate word in this case because had the paper gone out an hour or two before the examination, we could have said it was a leak," said Agrawal.

AKU registrar Nirbhay Kumar Singh echoed Agrawal. AKU officials were not ready to accept that students used any kind of unfair means during the examination. "Anyone could be involved in this. Employees, who serve water to the students, could have done this," Agrawal said, adding that the university would initiate a probe only after it received a complaint from the centre superintendent concerned.

Sources said earlier, too, MBBS exam papers were leaked at PMCH and many students were caught using mobile phones during exams. Sources, however, said every time when a student is caught with a mobile phone, he/she is let off with just a warning.

A final-year MBBS student of the college said: "Some seniors help juniors during their exam. Some students leak the paper on WhatsApp during the exam, while a group of seniors prepare answers for them and send the answers to the students on mobile phones. The seniors mostly help with multiple-choice questions because that is easier to solve and its answers can be sent quickly. Those who use this means at least score 20 marks in the multiple-choice section."