Nirmala Devi case: Madurai bench orders to submit final report of CB-CID in a sealed cover

After the leaked audio of Nirmala Devi, in which she allegedly urged college students to extend sexual favours to higher officials of Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) was circulated widely, she was booked and the case was shifted to the CB-CID. The Madurai bench of Madras High Court ordered Sirivilliputhur Mahilla court on Wednesday to submit the final report of CB-CID in a sealed cover before December 3.

Eventually, after several months of CB-CID inquiry, Nirmala Devi confessed under the custodial investigation that she tried to lure the college girls to offer sexual favours to Murugan, an assistant professor of Madurai Kamaraj University, and Karupasamy, a former research scholar.

Following the leaked audio, Aruppukottai police had registered a case against the assistant professor under Sections 370 and 511 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act. 

The case was reassigned to the CB-CID for a detailed probe. Meanwhile, the CB-CID sleuths conducted an inquiry with Devanga College principal Dr S Pandiarajan, its secretary R Ramasamy and the four girl students. Another CB-CID team conducted investigation with the MKU registrar Dr V Chinniah in Madurai and also searched his office.

The final charge sheet was filed after the CB-CID altered the charges to include offences of trafficking, sexual harassment and conspiracy under the IPC and also under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act and the Information Technology Act.