 "Members of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) stage a protest against the alleged sexual harassment of a girl student of Anna University")
A second-year engineering student of Chennai's Anna University was allegedly raped on campus on the evening of 23 December, triggering outrage over safety lapses and political blame games. The incident came to light after the survivor lodged a police complaint on 24 December.
The accused, Gnanasekaran, a 37-year-old with a criminal history, was arrested on December 25, a day after the survivor contacted a police helpline. He is accused of filming the survivor with a male friend, blackmailing them with the footage, and later raping her.
What happened at Anna University?
The survivor, accompanied by her male friend, was near an old building, close to Raj Bhavan and IIT Madras, in a remote part of the sprawling campus when the accused approached them at around 8 pm. Gnanasekaran reportedly intimidated her friend, a third-year student, into leaving and proceeded to assault the woman, according to a report by The Times of India.
Before fleeing, he demanded her phone number and threatened her to meet him whenever he called.
Prior convictions and assaults
Police revealed that Gnanasekaran, who runs a roadside eatery near the campus, had a criminal record that included over 15 cases of theft and robbery. In 2011, he was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting another woman on the same campus, though it is unclear if that case went to trial, a report by Deccan Herald said.
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“The suspect has confessed to the crime,” a senior police officer told Deccan Herald.
Samples from the crime scene have been collected, and authorities are searching for the accused's mobile phone, suspecting it may contain evidence of similar crimes.
The police have registered a case under various sections of the BNS, including charges of rape and sexual harassment. Investigators are coordinating with Anna University's Internal Complaints Committee (ICC-POSH), where the survivor initially reported the assault.
University authorities and Greater Chennai Police have announced a joint security review to address potential lapses. Measures to improve campus safety are expected to follow.
Student protests and demands
Student associations held protests outside Anna University on Wednesday, demanding better protection for students living on campus. They criticised the administration for failing to address long-standing security concerns.
Political fallout
The assault has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties, who blame the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government for failing to ensure campus security. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief K Annamalai accused the government of worsening law and order. Annamalai also shared alleged images of the accused with DMK leaders, hinting at a political nexus.
Responding to the criticism, Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhian assured swift action to prevent such incidents. He accused the Opposition of politicising the issue and referenced the 2019 Pollachi sexual assault case under the AIADMK regime.
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