Scandal: Police conduct SEARCHES AT MKU V-C’S Office

MADURAI/COIMBATORE: CB-CID officials conducted searches in the offices of top officials of Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) in connection with the allegation that a woman college teacher allegedly attempted to lure students to extend sexual favours in return for higher marks.

In a related development, Tamil Nadu Higher Education Secretary Sunil Paliwal said a committee had been set up to prevent recurrence of such exploitation of students and assured all those involved in the scandal would be punished.

The scandal came to light when an audio tape of assistant professor Nirmala Devi's advice to students to "adjust" with some officials went viral on social media recently.

A report from Madurai said the searches were conducted on Friday in the offices of MKU Vice-chancellor P P Chellathurai and Registrar V Chinnaiah. The two officials were not present in the offices, it said quoting police. The CB-CID police action came a day after the two officials were questioned by them. The searches were aimed at gathering details regarding the work given to Nirmala Devi, assistant professor of a private college in Aruppukkottai in Virudhunagar district affiliated to the MKU, they said.

Devi has been arrested on the charge of prodding students to extend sexual favours to university officials in return for higher marks and money and is now under the CB-CID custody.

Police said CB-CID officials were interrogating the assistant professor after securing fiveday custody of her from a judicial magistrate court in Sattur.

Paliwal said the high-level committee, comprising the Vice-chancellors of Madras University and Tamil Nadu Open University, was expected to submit its report in two days.

"The guidelines would be formed in such a way to ensure that the relationship between the professors and students would be not misused and the relationship between the students and guides should only be related to academics and research," he told reporters in Coimbatore.