Calcutta, July 2: A government probe has blamed private agencies that prepared this year’s Madhyamik examination results for the media leak of the marks and ranks of toppers.

A one-man committee, led by R.K. Ray, the joint secretary of the state school education department, said the agencies engaged by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education had not adopted a foolproof system while preparing the results.

The report was submitted to the government today.

Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had asked school education minister Partha De to conduct the inquiry after the media revealed the marks of several toppers a day before the board officially announced the results.

“There were certain weaknesses in the procedure maintained by the private companies…. The inquiry committee has made it clear that the private agencies were responsible for the result leak,” De said after receiving the report.

The government has decided to start a second round of investigations soon to get a clearer picture of the lapses on the part of the agencies, he added.

“The committee has observed that the results had not leaked till the marks and other details of the examinees were with the board. We have to find out why the agencies were not careful. We will also find out what steps are being taken by the board to select the agencies.,” the minister said.

The final inquiry is expected to be complete in the next two months, he added.

De said the initial inquiry report had not found any official or employee of the board guilty.