Anna University sexual assault case: Accused Gnanasekaran found guilty
A Chennai court has convicted a 37-year-old man for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old student after trespassing on the prestigious Anna University campus in December 2024.
The assault at Chennai’s premier institution triggered concerns over women’s safety and state-wide protests, with the Opposition parties claiming the convict Gnanasekaran was linked to the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
Opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader Edappadi Palaniswami said its state-wide protests led to speedy conviction in the case.
He added that some important questions remained unanswered. “You cannot get away with half justice. We will ensure that others involved in the crime are also punished,” he said in a post on X.
The AIADMK campaigned for justice in the case, asking: “Who is that, Sir?” In her complaint to the police, the student said that Gnanasekaran spoke to someone over the phone, addressing him as ‘sir’ and pretending to take instructions from him.
Chennai Police commissioner A Arun clarified that Gnanasekaran had put his phone on airplane mode and pretended to speak to someone, referring to him as “sir” to intimidate the student. He said there was no other suspect in the case.