The prime accused in the case of immoral trafficking of college girls by a woman faculty member at Devanga Arts College in Arupukottai, Tamil Nadu, has been convicted bringing the trial to its conclusion. The case, which first surfaced six years ago, had caused widespread embarrassment to then Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, but he has now been cleared of any involvement in the scandal.
The incident had come to light in 2018 when an audio clip of a recorded phone conversation between Nirmala Devi, an Assistant Professor at the college, and four of her students was leaked. In the conversation, Devi was heard pressuring the reluctant girls to “cooperate” with higher officials of Madurai Kamaraj University, promising them favorable treatment in their semester examinations. She insinuated that these higher officials had connections to the Governor’s office, leading to speculations.
Following the girls’ complaint to college authorities, the case was transferred to the Crime Branch CID for investigation. Subsequently, Devi, along with two others – V Murugan, an Assistant Professor at Madurai Kamaraj University, and Karuppasamy, a former research scholar of the university – were arrested by the police.
Amidst the controversy, Governor Purohit vehemently denied any association with Devi’s claims, asserting them to be baseless and false. In a rare press conference, he refuted the allegations and emphasized that he had no prior knowledge of Devi. Additionally, he initiated a probe by a retired IAS officer into the incident and lodged a police complaint against a Tamil magazine editor for publishing a report linking him to the scandal.
After years of legal proceedings, on Monday, Srivilliputhur Fast Track Judge Bagavathiammal pronounced Devi guilty of the charges leveled against her. However, the two co-accused were acquitted in the case. The judge is scheduled to announce the quantum of sentence for Devi on Tuesday.
