Anna University sexual assault: Sole convict sentenced to life imprisonment

Chennai: A Women's Court on Monday gave a life sentence for a minimum period of 30 years without remission to the accused Gnanasekaran, who has been convicted for sexually harassing a student on the Anna University campus in December 2024.

Mahila Court judge M Rajalakshmi, who convicted Gnanasekaran on May 28, awarded sentences that would run concurrently. He was given the sentence regarding each of the 11 charges proved by the prosecution against him.

While convicting the accused, the court held that the prosecution proved the sexual assault case beyond a reasonable doubt.

The judge said that Gnanasekaran sought a lenient sentence, claiming he was the sole breadwinner of the family, but the prosecution objected to this and sought maximum punishment.

Political row
The sensational case had triggered a political row over Gnanasekaran's alleged connections with the ruling DMK in the state, although the party president and Chief Minister MK Stalin had in January said he was only a sympathiser and supporter, and not a member of the Dravidian party.

The case came to light after the victim lodged a complaint before the All Women Police Station in Kotturpuram on December 23 last year. In her complaint, the victim alleged that Gnanasekaran threatened her when she was with a male friend and then sexually harassed her. Gnanasekaran was later arrested.

The FIR of the case was downloaded from the CCTNS website of Tamil Nadu police and broadcast by certain sections of the media which created a furore.

Later, the Madras High Court transferred the case's investigation to a Special Investigation Team, which also probed the FIR leak.

The SIT filed a charge sheet in February before a magistrate court. The case was then transferred to the Mahila Court.

The Mahila court framed charges against Gnanasekaran under various sections of the BNS, including sexual harassment, BNSS, IT Act and the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Women Harassment Act.
(With PTI inputs)