The Case Of Nirmala Devi Might Die A Quiet Death

The case of Nirmala Devi, who “advised” students to sleep their way to jobs, might die a quiet death

- Lakshmi Subramanian

On a quiet street with small, stylish houses in Kaviyan Nagar in Aruppukottai town 40km from Madurai, stood a deserted house between two vacant plots. A dusty scooter and scattered newspapers lay within its locked iron gates. As I pressed the bell outside, a woman from a neighbouring house called out: “Nirmala Devi is not at home. She came here three days ago with her head tonsured, but left in a few hours. These days, even when she is at home, she rarely comes out.”

An assistant professor (now suspended) at Devanga Arts College in Aruppukottai, Nirmala earned ill-fame on April 15 last year when social media crackled with an audio clip of her promising female students money and jobs in return for sexual favours for “top officials”in Madurai Kamaraj University.