On a day when Goondas Act was slapped against the men arrested in the shocking Pollachi sexual assault case, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court granted bail to Nirmala Devi, the prime accused in another sensational sexual case. A former Assistant Professor in an arts college in Aruppukkottai, she was arrested in April 2018 for trying to lure girl students to provide sexual favours to ‘higher officials’ of Madurai Kamaraj University and beyond. After she spent almost a year in the prison, she was allowed to go out on conditional bail by the HC Tuesday.
While granting bail to her, Justice Dhandapani observed that the investigation is complete, the chargesheet has also been filed and the government has no objection. The Tamilnadu government had, however, submitted that Nirmala Devi should not speak to the media while she is out on bail. The court accepted this and directed Nirmala not to interact with the press. Though the police and court are burdened with too many cases, taking many months (and years) to complete important cases like this needs to be avoided.
The charges against Nirmala were of very serious nature. Such things are to be probed soon and judgement delivered on a fast-track to sound a warning bell to those involved in heinous sexual crimes. Who knows? The arrested persons in the Pollachi case may also come out on bail after spending some months in jail as prolonged investigation and legal process waters down the whole idea of justice, as justice delayed is justice denied. Only speedy and stern punishment can put an end to atrocities against women.