CHENNAI: The Madras High Court (MHC) asked the Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) why the complaints received from the alleged victims were not forwarded to the internal complaint committee in the case of suspended assistant professor Nirmala Devi allegedly luring female students to offer sexual favors to top officials of the varsity.

The first division bench, comprising Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice J Sathya Narayana Prasad, heard the petition seeking to transfer the investigation against Nirmala Devi from CB-CID to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by a woman DIG.

The counsel for the petitioner submitted that despite the victims complaint regarding sexual harassment, it was not forwarded to the internal complaint committee.

After the submission, the bench asked the counsel representing the university why the complaint was not forwarded to the committee.

The counsel sought time to get instructions from the university in this regard.

After the submission, the bench posted the matter to June 7 for further submission.

In 2018, Aruppukottai police booked Nirmala Devi under various sections based on the complaint lodged by girl students for allegedly persuading them to offer sexual favors to top officials of Madurai Kamaraj University.

Later, the then Governor of the State and Chancellor of the University, Banwarilal Purohit, appointed retired IAS officer R Santhanam to probe into the matter.

Subsequently, D Ganesan, State coordinator of the Revolutionary Students Youth Front, Tamil Nadu, moved a petition before the High Court seeking to transfer the investigation against Nirmala Devi from CB-CID to the Special Investigation Team (SIT).