Claiming that Governor Banwarilal Purohit was a ‘suspect’ in the attempted trafficking of college girls by assistant professor Nirmala Devi [who has since been suspended and arrested], CPI State secretary R. Mutharasan on Wednesday demanded that the State government order a probe by a sitting Madras High Court judge to unravel the scandal and bring the culprits to book.
“I am making the charge that the Governor is a suspect in this case, and his ordering a probe is unacceptable,” he said, referring to Mr. Purohit’s decision to appoint retired IAS officer R. Santhanam to probe the scandal.
Hours after the assistant professor was arrested and remanded in judicial custody, the Governor ordered the probe and hurriedly convened a press conference to absolve himself of involvement in the scandal, Mr. Mutharasan alleged.
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The governor’s act of patting the cheek of a woman journalist instead of answering her questions during Tuesday’s press conference deserved severe condemnation, he said. “The governor may be an aged man with a grandson and a great grandson, but had no right to pat the journalist on her cheek,” he said.
Mr. Mutharasan noted that Nirmala Devi, in her telephonic conversation with the college girls, had clearly stated that they would have to “do certain things secretly” for a very senior official in return for academic progression and monetary gain, adding that all those who were involved, regardless of the positions they held, should be brought to book.
Stating that the scandal shouldn’t be viewed as an isolated case, he alleged that such “immoral acts” were taking place in many educational institutions in the State.
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Meanwhile, Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar said he was hopeful that the CB-CID probe into the Aruppukottai sex scandal would bring out the truth.
“We must have faith in our State police. They have handled such cases in the past and have done remarkable work,” Mr. Jayakumar said. He also referred to the reported observation of Higher Education Minister K.P. Anbalagan that if required, the case would be referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation.