Torture tied to suicide bid by Nirmala: Counsel

While two others, who were granted bail in the case, were produced before the Srivilliputhur Mahila Court on Thursday, amidst tight security, Nirmala Devi was not present.

Talking to reporters on the premises of the court, Pasumpon Pandian said that Nirmala Devi was beaten up by the police personnel after she addressed the media during her earlier trail.

“Even the police officials threatened to shoot Nirmala Devi. Also, she was subject to sexual abuse inside the prison. To conceal police actions, which caused injuries to Nirmala Devi, she was not brought to the court. Such issues concerning torture to Nirmala Devi were taken to the attention of Human Rights Commission for necessary action.”

He also welcomed the High Court’s order stalling the ongoing case in Srivilliputhur court. Nirmala Devi from a private college of Aruppukottai, Virudhunagar district, was jailed after the leak of an audio tape of her alleged conversation with a few girls last year.

Aruppukottai Town police booked a case in April 2018 following the leak. The CB-CID then took over the probe and filed a charge sheet in the case involving Murugan, assistant professor of MKU and Karuppasamy, former research scholar of the university as the co-accused in the case. Later, the case was prosecuted by Srivilliputhur Fast Track Mahila Court. However, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court recently ordered an interim stay on the case.