The Registrar (evaluation) of Karnatak University was questioned at length by the Malleswaram police in connection with the paper leak scandal during the Assistant Professor exams. These exams were conducted in March 2021 for 1,200 posts of Assistant Professor.

The prime accused in the case, Sowmya R, was arrested on Sunday, April 24. The police said that the Registrar, H Nagaraj, was in contact with Sowmya, and had set the geography question paper for the exams. He was brought into the police station for questioning and was probed for over four hours. "He has shared some crucial information and based on his statement further investigations will be conducted. We may take him under police custody in the future if necessary," said a police officer.

Sowmya R was a guest lecturer at the Mysuru University in the Geography department and had been taken into custody after it was discovered that she had shared 18 questions from the geography question paper through messaging application WhatsApp.