Patna, March 11: Chairman of the Bihar Legislative Council Tarakant Jha today declined the Opposition’s demand for a probe into the attempt of Madhuprabha Devi, the principal of an intermediate college in Gopalganj, to slap the district magistrate, Pankaj Kumar Pal.

Congress member Mahachandra Prasad Singh and CPI member Kedarnath Pandey raised the issue through an adjournment motion after the Zero Hour and sought a debate. Jha, rejecting the motion, asked deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi to look into the matter.

Earlier, Modi had said there was no question for a probe into the matter because the district magistrate has the power to take action against anyone using or helping to use unfair means during examinations. Modi said the district magistrate was within his powers to take action against Madhuprabha and there was no need for a probe.

Singh alleged the news, which appeared in the papers, was completely contrary to the fact.

“Can anyone believe that a woman principal can slap a district magistrate? Instead, Madhuprabha Devi and a teacher, Manish Kumar, were thrashed and sent to jail. If such a thing has happened, then it requires a probe by the House committee,” said Singh.

Pandey, who termed the incident “an inhuman” act by the district administration, supported Singh’s demand.

The CPM’s Vasudeo Singh, the RJD’s Nawal Kishore Yadav and Tanveer Hasan and the Congress’s Jyoti Devi also demanded a House committee to probe into the matter impartially because no other committee or authority would do justice with the woman as the matter was against the district magistrate.

Madhuprabha, the principal of Mahendra Mahila College, Gopalganj, was sent to jail yesterday for allegedly attempting to slap the district magistrate when he had gone for an inspection at the college where the intermediate examinations were in progress.

Earlier, Jha administered oath to human resource development minister P.K. Shahi as a member of the Upper House. Shahi was elected unopposed yesterday for a lone seat vacated by Ramdhani Singh, who resigned from the council to contest the Assembly polls. Shahi, whose family members were present in the House, thanked the chairman, the chief minister and the other members of the House.

Hint of gold

The state government’s mineral directorate had found the possibility of gold mines in Sono block of Jamui district in 1992-93 but that was yet to be ratified by geologists of the central government. Mines and minerals minister Satyadeo Narayan Arya said this in reply to MLC Sanjay Prasad’s query during the question hour.