Bihar board ex-chief's wife removed as college principal

Patna: The authorities in Bihar on Tuesday removed Usha Sinha, a former ruling Janata Dal-United legislator, as principal of a Patna college, as her name too figured in the Class 12 toppers scam along with her husband, an official said.

Sinha is the wife of former Bihar School Examination Board chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh, who too is on the run.

"Usha Sinha has been removed as principal of the Ganga Devi College after her name figured in the toppers scam," the Education Department official said.

The action against Sinha comes a day after she was made a "non-FIR" accused in the scam.

Both Usha Sinha and her husband are wanted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Bihar Police in the case.

"The SIT is conducting searches at various places to arrest Singh, a key accused in the Class 12 toppers scam, and his wife," a police official said.

Meanwhile, the Education Department has began an inquiry into reports that she got a government job on the basis of fake educational degrees.

As per her poll affidavit in 2010, she was aged 49 when she contested the Bihar assembly elections and won.

Sinha`s year of birth in the affidavit is mentioned as 1961 whereas she passed her matriculation exam conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Education Board in 1969, meaning thereby that she passed her matriculation when she was aged only eight.

Her affidavit also says she earned her master`s degree from the Awadh University in 1976. Interestingly, the university was set up in 1975.

Going by her affidavit, Usha Sinha completed the two-year MA course in only a year. Also, she is said to have got a Ph.D degree at the age of 23 from Magadh University.