Chennai: In a landmark judgment in a sensational case that drew national attention, the Mahila Court in Chennai on Monday sentenced D Gnanasekar, 37, the sole accused in the Anna University sexual assault case, to life imprisonment for a minimum period of 30 years without remission. The court also imposed a total fine of Rs 90,000 on him.
The horrifying incident occurred on the evening of December 23 last year, when a 19-year-old student of Anna University and her boyfriend were seated near a building inside the campus. Gnanasekar, who ran a biryani outlet and was a resident of Kottur, entered the university premises and approached the couple.
Pretending to be a university staff member, he threatened to report them to the management and warned of issuing a transfer certificate. He then separated them and took the female student to a secluded area, where he sexually assaulted her, despite her resistance. He also recorded the assault on his phone, according to the prosecution.
The case had triggered widespread outrage and led to the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) by the Madras High Court. The opposition parties had alleged that the accused, who was seen in the company of several prominent DMK leaders in photographs, was being shielded.
The SIT, composed entirely of women officers, conducted a thorough probe and charged history-sheeter Gnanasekar as the lone accused. The charge sheet listed multiple serious offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Information Technology Act, and the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act.
Gnanasekar faced 11 charges including rape (Section 64(1) BNS), criminal trespass, kidnapping, wrongful restraint and confinement, demand for sexual favour, and criminal intimidation. He had a history of involvement in other crimes.
Last week, the Mahila Court found him guilty on all counts. Judge M Rajalakshmi pronouncing the sentence, stated, “For the charge under Section 64(1) of the BNS, you are sentenced to life imprisonment for a minimum period of 30 years without remission. Also, a ₹25,000 fine is imposed under this section. In case of default, you will undergo simple imprisonment for three months.”
The court awarded additional sentences ranging from one month to 10 years for other convictions, with all sentences to run concurrently. The judgment made it clear that Gnanasekar acted alone, stating: “No other person except the accused, according to the evidence available before this court, either directly or indirectly, was involved in this occurrence.”
The court also acknowledged the trauma endured by the survivor, particularly because the assault took place within the confines of her educational institution. It took note of the ₹25 lakh interim compensation already awarded by the High Court due to lapses in the police investigation, especially the leak of the FIR.
