MADURAI
The All India Democratic Women’s Organisation (AIDWA) is planning to approach the Supreme Court seeking transfer of the investigation into the audiotape scandal involving the alleged attempt by Assistant Professor Nirmala Devi of Devanga Arts College, Aruppukottai, to lure four girl students into doing sexual favours to some ‘powerful people’, to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the CBI.
Speaking to the media here on Sunday, AIDWA national vice-president U. Vasuki said the parallel investigations by the CB-CID and the Santhanam Committee lacked credibility. She said the transfer of K. Jayanth Murali from the post of Additional Director General of Police, CB-CID, and appointment of Amresh Pujari in his position just a day after the transfer of the case to the investigating agency raised suspicion.
Similarly, she said, there was lack of clarity regarding the powers of the committee led by retired IAS officer R. Santhanam. “When the Governor announced the committee, he said it had powers to inquire anybody related to the case. However, Mr. Santhanam later said he could not inquire the Governor, whose office is mentioned in the audiotape,” she said.
She added that there were also confusions about whether the appointment of the committee was technically done by the MKU, whose senior officials were mentioned in the audiotape, or the Governor.
All these development appeared to be deliberate attempts to bury the involvement of senior officials in the case and confine it to Nirmala Devi and the two other men arrested, Ms. Vasuki said.
