CHENNAI: Retired IAS officer
R Santhanam, who was appointed by governor Banwarilal Purohit to investigate the Madurai Kamaraj University scandal, may question
Nirmala Devi, who is now in Madurai prison. Santhanam told TOI that he would discuss the issue with MKU VC P P Chellathurai when he visits Madurai on Saturday. “If I can’t meet her on Saturday, I will meet her later,” Santhanam said and added that he may co-opt some women professors into his probe team and start work on Thursday.
A few women professors may be members of probe team
Santhanam will hold discussions with
MKU officials on Thursday and start inquiries the next day at
Devanga Arts College in Virudhunagar, where Nirmala worked in the mathematics department. “I may seek the assistance of some women professors and coopt them as members of the probe team,” he said.
Questions were raised about the governor constituting a one-man committee to investigate the case in which a woman assistant professor was arrested on charges of trying to lure four women students to “provide sexual favours for some higher officials”.
On Tuesday, when reporters asked governor Purohit if appointing a man to probe the incident wasn’t contrary to the Supreme Court guidelines, he said Santhanam could take the help of women if needed.
On meeting the four students, based on whose complaints the assistant professor was arrested, Santhanam said it was “a sensitive matter”.
On the possibility of the audio tape being doctored, Santhanam said Nirmala Devi herself had told television channels that it was her voice but that it had been placed out of context. “If required, we will consider the possibility of getting the
tape checked,” he said.
Nirmala Devi.