Anna University sexual assault: Gnanasekar gets life imprisonment | Details inside

A 30-year-old man named Gnanasekar was sentenced to life imprisonment for 30 years, and that too without remission, in the Anna University sexual assault case on Monday (June 2). The Mahila Court in Chennai announced the judgement for the lone convict in the case. The judgment came a week after the court declared him guilty of offences under 11 provisions, including Section 64(1)(rape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and convicted him under those provisions.

“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, and if you default to pay the fine, you will have to undergo simple imprisonment for three months," the court declared in the judgment.

The sexual assault case explained

On December 23, 2024, the survivor, a 19-year-old girl, and her friend were out on the campus of the Anna University. Gnanasekar used to run a biryani outlet near the area. He entered the campus the same evening, blackmailed the duo, and went on to sexually assault the student in a secluded spot. As per the chargesheet, he even recorded the assault in his mobile phone.

After the incident, the Madras High Court appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT), comprising women officers t probe the case. The case had sparked a massive outrage in the state. The probe named Gnanasekar as the lone accused in the case.

Gnanasekar was charged under 11 provisions of the law, including Sections 331(6) (lurking trespass by night), 126(2) (wrongfully restraining any person), 140(4) (kidnapping in order to subject a person to grievous hurt), 75(2) (sexual harassment) read with 64(1) (rape), among other provisions of the BNS, Information Technology Act, and Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act.