Scandal in varsity: MKU premises searched

Crime Branch-CID sleuths on Friday searched the offices of the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar of Madurai Kamaraj University in the Professor Nirmala Devi "sexual favours" case, even as an ex-bureaucrat spoke to the affected students and recorded their version.

R Santhanam, the retired bureaucrat, who has been entrusted with the job of going into complaints that Nirmala lured four girl students for giving “sexual favours” to a “top official”, visited the Devanga Arts College in Arupukkottai in Virudhunagar district and held inquiries with the institution's president, secretary and principal.

He also spoke to the girl students with the help of two women professors drawn from different colleges and recorded their version. “Please refrain from reporting anything about the four students. They are under stress due to the constant media coverage. I assure that I will get to the bottom of the incident and ensure that the truth comes out,” Santhanam said.

Telecall inducement

In all, Santhanam inquired with nine persons in the college and intends to questions 13 more people. The retired officer will stay put in Arupukkottai on Saturday as well will receive written representations from the general public. He also said he was hoping to question Nirmala very soon.

CB-CID, which is now probing the case, took Nirmala into its custody for five days and fanned out teams to search the offices of the V-C and Registrar. The assistant professor was arrested on Monday for allegedly luring the four girls through a telephonic conversation, audio of which went viral.