Veteran journalist Nakkheeran Gopal was arrested by the Chennai police for allegedly defaming Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit in his articles in the Nirmala Devi case. Gopal was reportedly on his way to Pune while he was picked up by the police in Chennai Airport. The cover story of the Nakkheeran magazine said that Nirmala Devi had told CB CID which is investigating the case that she had met the Governor four times. The story had questioned why the Governor has not been made part of the inquiry.
According to preliminary reports, the arrest was allegedly made on a complaint given by Governor Banwarilal Purohit accusing Gopal of defaming him in his reportage. Nirmala Devi, an assistant professor in Devangar Arts College in Virudhunagar district was arrested after four students complained that she tried to lure them to provide sexual favours to the officers. The students also submitted audio recordings of their conversations with Nirmala Devi. The Governor, in turn, appointed a one-man committee under retired bureaucrat R Santhanam to probe into the allegations.