Tamil Nadu: Now, CB-CID looking for Madurai Kamaraj University's assistant professor, his associate

VIRUDHUNAGAR: Virudhunagar Even as the director of Madurai Kamaraj University's (MKU) Human Resource Development Centre, V Kalaiselvan, appeared for an inquiry on Sunday, in connection with the Nirmala Devi case, CB-CID sleuths said that they are looking for an MKU assistant professor Murugan and his close associate, Karuppiah. Both are believed to be friends of Nirmala, who has been arrested for allegedly attempting to lure students to offer sexual favours to varsity officials.Murugan reportedly teaches in the varsity's Management Studies department. Police believe that Murugan and Karuppiah put Nirmala in contact with higher officials.

“Karuppiah is a native of Thiruchuli, Nadankulam, near Aruppukottai. He did his PhD in Fine Arts at MKU. During his research tenure, he was in close contact with Murugan, who did his PhD under present registrar, V Chinniah. With the help of Chinniah, Murugan was appointed as an assistant professor in 2014. After Chinniah became the registrar of MKU, Murugan acted as his right hand man,” a police source claimed. According to the source, CB-CID had questioned Karuppiah’s wife and his relatives. Persons from Nirmala Devi's WhatsApp contact list were also reportedly called in for inquiry at the Virudhunagar CB-CID branch. Meanwhile, Kalaiselvan, Professor Rajam from Thanjavur and two railway officials were interrogated for more than five years.

Sources claimed that a few students had filed a complaint against Kalaiselvan in 2017.It may be recalled that on Friday, a Sattur court had granted CB-CID officials custody of Nirmala Devi for five days to conduct investigations. On Friday, officials started interrogating Nirmala, even as CB-CID sleuths visited Aruppukottai Devanga Arts College, from which she was suspended, to observe the inquiry of R Santhanam, the governor-appointed officer probing the case. Officials also searched the rooms of MKU Vice Chancellor P P Chellathurai and Registrar V Chinniah.

On Saturday, CB-CID (cyber-crime) DSP Lavanya, from Chennai, recorded Nirmala’s voice for a voice recognition test where the voice would be matched with the voice in the audio recording of her speaking to four students. The clip had gone viral. A team also searched Nirmala’s house in the presence of her brother Ravi. The team seized laptops, computer hard disks, pen drive and some CDs, before sealing the house.