Chennai court finds accused guilty in varsity student sexual assault case

A Mahila Court here on Wednesday pronounced as guilty A Gnanasekaran, the biriyani vendor arrested in the sensational Anna University woman student sexual assault case, with the prosecution seeking "maximum punishment" for him.

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Holding that the prosecution has proved the case beyond reasonable doubt, the court found Gnanasekaran guilty of the charges framed against him in the sexual assault case that rocked Tamil Nadu in December 2024.

Mahila Court Judge Rajalakshmi said she will pronounce the verdict on June 2.

The government counsel later told reporters that the prosecution filed 11 charges against Gnanasekaran and proved all of them using documentary and forensic evidence.

"Today, he was pronounced guilty by the court. The details of the sentence will be given on June 2," she said.

Giving a brief update on the proceedings on Wednesday, she indicated that Gnanasekaran sought a lenient sentence claiming he was the sole bread-winner of the family.

"The prosecution strongly objected to this and sought the maximum punishment," she added.

The sensational case had triggered a political row over Gnanasekaran's alleged connections with the ruling DMK in the state, although the party president and Chief Minister MK Stalin had in January said he was only a sympathiser and supporter, and not a member of the Dravidian party.

The case came to light after the victim lodged a complaint before the All Women police station in Kotturpuram here on December 23 last year. In her complaint, the victim alleged that Gnanasekaran threatened her when she was with a male friend and then sexually harassed her.

Gnanasekaran was later arrested.

The FIR of the case was downloaded from the CCTNS website of Tamil Nadu police and broadcast by certain sections of the media which created a furore.

Later, the Madras High Court transferred the investigation of the case to a Special Investigation Team, which also probed the FIR leak.

The SIT filed a charge sheet in February before a magistrate court. Thereafter, the case was transferred to the Mahila Court.

The Mahila Court framed charges against Gnanasekaran under various sections of the BNS, including sexual harassment, BNSS, IT Act and the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Women Harassment Act.