Ranchi, Aug. 7: Ragini Minz continued to elude the media on Tuesday and refused to confirm or deny the report that she has received the amount paid by her to the “private secretary” of the previous health minister for a prize posting.

The previous health minister, Hemendra Pratap Sahi, is much less inhibited though and has claimed that the money, Rs 1.5 lakh, had been paid back to Minz this week. Jitendra Singh and Satish Mahto, claims Sahi, had no authority to collect money on his behalf and were working as brokers on their own.

But with Sahi claiming credit for getting the duo to return the amount to Minz, the nexus is quite clear. Was the amount returned because Minz happens to be the wife of the Congress MP from Lohardaga, Rameshwar Oraon? Or was it returned because others paid higher amounts for the post Minz wanted to secure for herself?

The present health minister, Bhanu Pratap Sahi, is stoical. No action is possible unless there is a written complaint from Minz, he states seriously. But, obviously, Minz has no such desire. After all, a government officer is unlikely to admit in writing that she tried to bribe her way to a post.

So, despite all indications that an attempt was made to bribe the department and the minister, no action is in the offing against either the civil surgeon or the brokers. Even an inquiry appears unlikely.

The chief minister has not cared to respond to “allegations in the media” though they seem to be confirmed by his former ministerial colleague. The home secretary, in charge of the state vigilance commission, maintains an enigmatic silence while the ADGP of the vigilance bureau says that the bureau would look into the case, if and when the government refers it. Which, again, is unlikely.

But Sahi is delightful in his candour. “Paying money for prize posting is a routine affair,” he declared while defending his son’s role. “He is better than most ministers,” he points out proudly but concedes that all’s not right with the health department.

The civil surgeon’s husband, Rameshwar Oraon, said: “Those who know me will not believe that my wife would have given bribe to get a choice posting.” The MP has already admitted to pleading with the CM for his wife’s transfer from Lohardaga to Ranchi on “health grounds”.

Minz had been suspended in July 2005, along with five other doctors and para-medical staff, after the state government found her guilty of “causing death during laparoscopy and then interpolating with evidence”.