Patna, June 3: The Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) will seek legal opinion on action to be taken against Ruby Rai, the intermediate (arts) topper, for her failure to turn up before experts assigned to interview rank-holders of the examination.

The school examination board had called 14 top-ranking students from the science and arts streams for interview following the controversy stoked by the failure of two toppers to answer rudimentary questions pertaining to their subjects in a television show.

Bihar School Examination Board chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh said: "As the arts topper Ruby Rai didn't turn up for interview, we will seek legal opinion from the advocate-general on what further action can be taken against her."

Ruby, a student of the controversial Vishun Roy College in Vaishali, had secured 444 marks out of 500. Though she didn't turn up, a person named Nand Kishore Yadav, who claimed to be the deputy director of the institution, arrived at the board office to state that the girl was not well and was suffering from depression.

"Ruby is under depression and is not well. But she will visit the board office next week," said Nand Kishore Yadav. He, however, acknowledged he hadn't heard much about Ruby's academic prowess in college - she wasn't on the toppers' list in the internal examination.

The interview of the toppers started at 3pm and continued for more than five hours. Though Ruby wasn't present, the science topper, Saurav Shreshtha, appeared before the expert committee.

Shreshtha, who too had cut a sorry figure on TV, refused to speak to the media. Khusbu Kumari, who secured third position in arts, said: "The experts asked different types of questions. The original copy (of the answer-sheet) was lying before the experts and I was asked to write an article on women empowerment."

The Bihar School Examination Board had constituted two expert committees - one each for the science and arts streams - for the purpose. The panel comprised teachers from Patna University, Magadh University and other educational institutions.

"The interview lasted more than five hours with each student quizzed for thirty-forty minutes during which they were asked 25 to 30 questions from their subjects. The students were also asked to write a small article on a particular subject - this would help the experts verify the students' handwriting with the original answer-paper," board chief Lalkeshwar Prasad said.

The board will submit its report to the unfair means committee, which in turn will send its recommendations to the state education department. The department will then take a call on declaring a fresh list of toppers.

Adding fuel to the controversy surrounding Vishun Roy College, last year's intermediate science second rank holder, Vikash Kumar, also approached the examination board office. Vikash, who had secured 429 marks, was initially declared the topper, but within two days, Vishal Kumar, a student of Vishun Roy College, was given the first rank having secured 431 marks. "I have come here to plead my case for re-evaluation and interview of both Vishal and me, if required," Vikash said.