Last Updated:
A Chennai court sentenced Gnanesekaran, accused in the 2024 Anna University sexual assault case, to life imprisonment for a minimum of 30 years.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami. (PTI/File Image)
A war of words erupted between the ruling DMK and the opposition AIADMK in Tamil Nadu after a Chennai court sentenced Gnanesekaran, accused in the Anna University sexual assault case, to life imprisonment for a minimum of 30 years.
On December 24, 2024, a 19-year-old second-year student of Anna University was allegedly sexually assaulted by a man on the campus. The incident had led to protests by AIADMK MLAs and several other political parties, who raised concerns about the state government’s handling of the case.
Pronouncing the verdict on Monday, the Chennai Mahila Court found Gnanesekaran guilty, sentencing him to 30 years in life imprisonment and a Rs 90,000 fine. AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami welcomed the judgement but accused the DMK government of shielding the convict.
Taking to X, Palaniswami said, “In this case, the Stalin-led DMK government made several behind-the-scenes efforts to protect the convicted DMK member, Gnanasekaran. Despite all those attempts, it was the continuous fight, from public forums to social media, that made this sentence against Gnanasekaran, one of the accused, possible, thanks to AIADMK’s persistent efforts.”
அண்ணா பல்கலை. பாலியல் வழக்கின் குற்றவாளியான திமுக அனுதாபி ஞானசேகரனுக்கு ஆயுள் தண்டனை விதித்துள்ளது சென்னை மகளிர் நீதிமன்றம்.இந்த வழக்கில் குற்றவாளி திமுக ஞானசேகரனைக் காப்பாற்ற எத்தனையோ சித்து வேலைகளை செய்தது ஸ்டாலின் மாடல் திமுக அரசு.
அத்தனையும் முறியடித்து, மக்கள் மன்றம்…
— Edappadi K Palaniswami-SayYEStoWomenSafety&AIADMK (@EPSTamilNadu) June 2, 2025
‘Who Protected Sir?’
Referring to a “Sir” mentioned in the criminal complaint, Palaniswami questioned why the individual’s involvement was ruled out during the probe. “Who is the “SIR” mentioned in the FIR? Why was he ruled out during the investigation? Why did the DMK government rush to conclude the case with Gnanasekaran alone as the convict? Who protected Sir?”
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin gave a scathing response to Palaniswami’s allegations, saying the police had responded through action to those who only pretended to care about women’s safety.
“In a case that even the High Court praised during the investigation, we ensured swift and fair justice in the Chennai student case – completing the trial in just five months and securing a severe punishment for the offender,” he said.
பெண்கள் பாதுகாப்பு பற்றி வேடம் போடுபவர்களுக்குச் செயலால் பதில் அளித்திருக்கிறது தமிழ்நாடு காவல்துறை!விசாரணையின் போது, உயர்நீதிமன்றமே பாராட்டிய வகையில், சென்னை மாணவி வழக்கினை நியாயமாகவும் விரைவாகவும் ஐந்தே மாதத்தில் நடத்தி முடித்து, குற்றவாளிக்குக் கடும் தண்டனையைப் பெற்றுத்…
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) June 2, 2025
“The Women’s Court has also come forward to commend the excellent handling of the case by the police. This has shattered the shallow intentions of those with small minds who sought political gain even in the injustice suffered by a young woman.”
AIADMK MLAs had protested for days after the case first came to the spotlight, accusing the state government of going slow and being incapable of preventing incidents of sexual assaults against women.
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
- First Published:
