Former Principal of Kerala Law Academy Law College (KLA) Lakshmi Nair has expressed willingness to take a lie-detector test to authenticate her testimony that there was no truth in the allegation that she had made a casteist remark aimed at a Dalit student of the college.
The serious accusation had acted as a catalyst for the highly charged student agitation that culminated in the removal of Ms. Nair from her post.
The police are now investigating the embattled Ms. Nair on the suspicion of violating the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The probe entailed potential arrest and possible remand.
Assistant Commissioner, Cantonment, K.E. Baiju, the Investigating Officer, confirmed Ms. Nair’s willingness to take a polygraph test to clear her name.
The police case was that Ms. Nair had abused fourth year law student V.G. Vivek by his caste name when he went to meet her at her office on January 21, 2016.
Mr. Baiju said the case was fraught with difficulties for the police. Ms. Nair was yet to be questioned. She had sought time till February 21 citing that her mother was seriously ill. The police had moved the Vilavoorkal panchayat for Mr. Vivek’s caste certificate.
They had recorded the statements of 17 persons, including college staff and students. The statements were riddled with inconsistencies and contradictions, which required further verification.
Importantly, the police had checked the veracity of the contention that Ms. Nair, a television personality, was away from college for a recording of her cookery show on January 21. College records showed that some student witnesses were absent on the day.
The police would have to dig up over a year old mobile phone call data record to check the whereabouts of those involved in the case. The complaint was filed belatedly in 2017 after the agitation for Ms. Nair’s removal gathered momentum. It had prompted Ms. Nair to move the High Court, accusing the petitioner of political vendetta.
Mr. Vivek, who is the secretary of the All India Student Federation (AISF), accused the police of according time to Ms. Nair to “sway witnesses and falsify college records in her favour.”
A junior officer had recorded his statement and not a Dy.SP as mandated by law. He would move a writ of mandamus in the High Court to ensure he got justice.
