"These three private college chief had bought Physics question paper from Devendra Behera, the deputy secretary of the Council of Higher Secondary Education posted at Sambalpur," Additional Director General of Police in-charge of Crime Branch B K Sharma said.
Sharma said the three Saroj Mohanty, Principal of Lambodar Science College of Kalahandi, Akshya Rath, chairman of Om Maa Saraswati Institute of Science and Technology of Rajgangpur and Rajendra Malla, Chaityana College of Sundergarh, were arrested last night.
Earlier, the physics examination on March 7 had been cancelled after the report of the question paper leak.
The government had ordered the Crime Branch to probe the matter.