Chennai: A specialized women’s court in Chennai delivered a guilty verdict on Wednesday against A. Gnanasekaran in connection with the sexual assault of a female student at Anna University that occurred on December 23.
The court established charges against Gnanasekaran under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) – specifically sections 329, 126(2), 87, 127(2), 75(2) combined with 75(i), (ii), (iii), 76, 64(1), 351(3), and 238(b). Additional charges were filed under Section 66 of the Information Technology Act and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Women Harassment Act.
The defendant, who operates a biryani business and has a history of involvement in theft and other criminal cases, entered a plea of not guilty to all charges.
The allegations encompass rape, sexual harassment, unlawful detention, kidnapping of a woman, and unauthorized entry onto property.
The court is expected to announce the sentencing decision in the near future.
The incident became public knowledge on Christmas Day of the previous year when the victim filed her complaint on December 24 at the Kotturpuram All Women Police Station (AWPS). According to her statement, Gnanasekaran intimidated her while she was accompanied by a male companion, subsequently assaulting her and coercing her into sexual acts through threats.
According to police officials, the perpetrator documented the assault using his cellular device, later displaying this footage to the victim as a means of preventing her from reporting the crime. Despite these threats, the student courageously came forward to file her complaint, leading to his prompt arrest.
The case gained significant media attention when the First Information Report (FIR) was obtained from the Tamil Nadu police Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) website and published by various media outlets, sparking widespread public outcry. Subsequently, the Madras High Court assigned the investigation to an all-female Special Investigation Team (SIT), which also examined the circumstances surrounding the FIR disclosure.
The SIT submitted their charge sheet to a magistrate court during the final week of February.