None turns up before Santhanam panel in

The third day of probe by retired IAS officer R Santhanam into Nirmala Devi scandal on Saturday turned out to be a disappointing affair as none came forward to give information. Sources said that the presence of University staff had deterred people from deposing before the one-man committee at the Circuit House here. 

The one-man Santhanam committee was appointed by the Governor to probe the leaked audio in which Nirmala Devi, the now-suspended Assistant Professor in a private college in Aruppukottai, had allegedly lured students of the same college. 

The retired IAS officer had announced that persons who had information regarding the incident can depose before the committee and handover their written representations. However, none came forward on Saturday to submit their statement. Four MKU staff were standing outside the room in which the former IAS officer was sitting and holding the proceedings. They were seen to be selective in admitting the entry of persons into the room. Santha-nam had earlier said that University officials would not be allowed to interfere with his investigation.

However, Santhanam rejected allegations about the role played by the MKU staff saying that they did not stop anyone from entering the room. 

Addressing the media, he said everyone was welcome to register their views before the committee and no one would stop them from meeting him. Ruling out any interference, he also said the MKU staff were rendering basic assistance to him. Santhanam also added that he had petitioned CB-CID to permit him to inquire Nirmala Devi in the prison. Santhanam went to the University campus and spoke to some of the professors. They reportedly had told him that the incident had damaged MKU’s reputation and asked him to investigate into the issue without any bias. Santhanam later left for Chennai. He is expected to return to Madurai next week to commence his second round of investigation. 

Continuing its investigation into the case, CB-CID sleuths questioned Nirmala Devi, the suspended assistant profes-sor of Devanga Arts College, at their office in Virudhunagar on Saturday. They also carried out a search in her house in Athipatti near Aruppukottai, besides inquiring her neighbours. Nirmala was initially taken to the Aruppukottai Government Hospital for a medical checkup and then taken to the CB-CID office in Virudhunagar for questioning. 

The sleuths, who recorded Nirmala’s voice, were examining whether the voice in the audio clip belonged to her. Another CB-CID team, which had gone to her house, seized some documents there. Nirmala’s neighbours were also asked if they knew anything about her activities. 

Meanwhile, Registrar of MKU, V Chinniah, who is rumoured to be the key person in the case, was questioned for the third-day. The CB-CID sleuths also seized documents related to Nirmala Devi’s visit to the university in February this year, when she came to evaluate the examination papers.