TN sex-for-grades scam: After professor's arrest, research scholar surrenders

Chennai: Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) research scholar Karuppusamy, wanted by the CB-CID in connection with the Nirmala Devi sex scam, surrendered before the Madurai High Court Wednesday.

The police have been searching for him for the last four days to probe allegations that the university and Devanga Arts College in Aruppukottai where Devi worked did nothing on complaints given by two other girls of harassment from Devi and other friends, including Karuppusamy.

The sex-for-grades and money scam is assuming huge proportions and seems to involve several teachers and officials in the university, CBCID sources said, emphasising that a few other faculty members of the university are also under the scanner.

V Murugan, an assistant professor of the university who was arrested on Tuesday, was produced before a magistrate in Sattur on Wednesday. The court remanded him to five-day police custody for further investigation. Both V. Murugan and Karrupasamy arrested had applied for bail through their lawyers and the CBCID has plans to extend the police custody of Nirmala through the court.

Another woman lecturer in a private autonomous college was also interrogated on Wednesday and she had promised to extend full cooperation to the investigation, sources said.

“We are looking for more complaints from the students and those associated with all the three persons are under the scanner”, the police said. Meanwhile, the inquiry commission ordered by the TN Governor will begin its second phase of investigation at Aruppukotttai and is to extend the inquiry to the lecturers and students who were in touch with Nirmala Devi. Governor Banwarilal Purohit, who is the chancellor of the university, had ordered a probe by retired IAS officer R. Santhanam.

The case, initially registered by the local police, was transferred to the CB-CID on April 17 and created a political uproar as the arrested Nirmala Devi, in an audio, allegedly dragged the name of governor into the sex for marks and money scandal.