What is 2024 Anna University sexual assault case and who is convict Gnanasekaran?

Gnanasekaran, the defendant in the Anna University student sexual assault case, was ruled guilty by a Mahila court in Chennai on Wednesday. The court stated that the prosecution has established the case beyond a reasonable doubt when announcing the ruling.

The decision in the sexual assault case that rocked Tamil Nadu in December last year will be revealed on June 2 by Mahila court judge Rajalakshmi. A 19-year-old student was assaulted on the grounds of Anna University in Chennai in December 2024, resulting in considerable outrage and transforming into a political storm in Tamil Nadu.

The defendant, Gnanasekaran, arrived at the university campus on December 23, 2024, and sexually assaulted a second-year engineering student around 8 PM after beating a senior male student accompanying her and intimidating him to leave the area.

Gnanasekaran operated a biryani stall close to the campus. The man had earlier faced accusations in 20 additional instances of minor offenses like theft and burglary, with six resulting in convictions. The event sparked significant anger among students regarding their security on campus. It triggered demonstrations from the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) calling for justice for the student.

The sexual assault incident escalated into a political controversy as the Opposition in Tamil Nadu criticized the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government for the perceived increase in crimes against women, a claim dismissed by the ruling party. Additionally, the Opposition shared images of the accused with certain DMK leaders, prompting Chief Minister MK Stalin to clarify that he was merely a sympathizer and not an actual member.

“I assure you that the accused who has been arrested is not a DMK member but he is a DMK sympathiser,” Stalin had said.