Garulia (North 24-Parganas), March 21: The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education today ordered a probe into a scam involving 93 children, who wrote the board examinations without studying in a secondary school.

Only 167 students had been registered as Madhyamik candidates from the state-aided Garulia Mill School in Naihati, about 50 km from Calcutta, this year. But 260 children sat for the tests. The board authorities had to allow the extra candidates as they had valid admit cards and registration numbers.

?We had issued admit cards and registration numbers to the students on the basis of recommendations from the school,? said Gopa Basu (Dutta), deputy secretary (examinations).

She said the board smelt a rat when some members of the school?s newly-elected managing committee lodged a complaint on March 2.

Four board officials visited the school and a study of its records revealed that the actual number of candidates was 167.

A managing committee member accused the teacher-in-charge, the secretary of the committee and the head clerk of being involved in the scam.