In a significant development in the case of luring students for sexual favors at Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU), former Assistant Professor Nirmala Devi has been convicted by the Fast Track Mahila court in Srivilliputhur. The case, which dates back to 2018, has seen Nirmala Devi convicted under multiple sections, including the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. However, the other two accused, MKU Assistant Professor Murugan and research student Karupasamy, have been acquitted of their charges due to lack of evidence.Nirmala Devi’s conviction comes after a lengthy legal battle, during which the court carefully examined the evidence presented before it. Following a request by her counsel to make arguments regarding the conviction, Judge T Bagavathi Ammal has announced that the details of the conviction, including the years of imprisonment, will be pronounced on Tuesday noon.
The case first came to light in 2018 when Nirmala Devi, then an Assistant Professor at Devanga Arts College in Aruppukottai, was arrested by the Aruppukottai Town police. The arrest came in response to a complaint filed by the college’s secretary, alleging that Nirmala Devi had been luring female students into offering sexual favors to MKU officials in exchange for academic benefits and financial support.
The complaint, filed by the college secretary Ramasamy, detailed how four female students from the college had approached him with a petition, accusing Nirmala Devi of exploiting them for personal gain. The college took swift action, suspending Nirmala Devi in March of the same year. However, the case garnered widespread attention after audio recordings of Nirmala Devi attempting to lure students surfaced online.
Subsequently, the case was transferred to the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) for further investigation. During the course of the investigation, two additional individuals, MKU Assistant Professor Murugan and research student Karupasamy, were implicated in the crime. All three accused were arrested and later granted bail.