A biryani vendor named Gnanasekharan has been found guilty in the high-profile Anna University sexual assault case. This case had caused a big political controversy in December last year. The Mahila Court in Chennai found him guilty of all 11 charges for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old student inside the university campus.

The charges include rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, kidnapping, intimidation, and crimes under the Information Technology (I-T) Act. The court has not yet given the sentence. Judge Rajalakshmi said, “He must get the maximum punishment” because he was found guilty on all charges. However, Gnanasekharan asked for the minimum punishment. He told the court that he has to take care of his old mother and his 8-year-old daughter.

What happened in the case

The crime happened in December 2024. Gnanasekharan first attacked a male friend of the teenage girl, then sexually assaulted her on the campus. He also filmed the assault, planning to use the video to blackmail her later. He was arrested on December 23.

During the trial, 29 witnesses gave statements. A charge sheet of 100 pages was filed. The investigation also showed that Gnanasekharan was involved in many theft cases in Chennai. Police recovered more than 100 sovereigns of gold and a luxury SUV from him. He confessed to robbing many houses.

There was also a serious issue with the leak of the FIR, which could have revealed the survivor’s identity. Indian law protects the identity of sexual assault survivors. Police blamed the central police website for this leak. A special investigation team (SIT) of only women officers was formed to look into both the assault and the leak. The court also asked the government to give Rs 25 lakh as compensation to the survivor.

Political reactions and protests

The case created a big political uproar. The opposition AIADMK accused the ruling DMK of failing to protect women. BJP leader K. Annamalai hit himself in public with a whip as a protest. He also started a 48-day fast and a pilgrimage.

He shared a photo of the convict with Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Chief Minister MK Stalin, and said Gnanasekharan was a DMK member. The DMK replied that he was only a supporter, not a member.

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