What is 2024 Anna University sexual assault case and who is convict Gnanasekaran?

Gnanasekaran ran a biryani stall near the campus. The man had previously been accused in 20 other cases of petty crimes such as theft and house breaking.

Updated on: May 28, 2025, 11:55:38 IST

By HT News Desk

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Gnanasekaran, the accused in the Anna University student sexual assault case, has been found guilty by a Mahila court in Chennai on Wednesday. The court said the prosecution has proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt while declaring the decision.

A 19-year-old student was sexually assaulted on the campus of Anna University in Chennai in December 2024. (File/PTI)

The verdict on the sexual assault case, that shook Tamil Nadu in December last year, will be announced on June 2 by Mahila court judge Rajalakshmi.

Also read: Anna University sexual assault case accused Gnanasekaran found guilty by Chennai court

What is the Anna University sexual assault case?

A 19-year-old student was sexually assaulted on the campus of Anna University in Chennai in December 2024, which led to widespread outrage and turned into a political whirlpool in Tamil Nadu.

The accused, Gnanasekaran, had entered the university campus on December 23, 2024, and sexually assaulted the second-year engineering student around 8pm after thrashing a senior male student who was with her and threatening him to flee from the spot.

Gnanasekaran ran a biryani stall near the campus. The man had previously been accused in 20 other cases of petty crimes such as theft and house breaking and had been convicted in six of them.

The incident led to massive outrage among the students over their safety on campus. It sparked protests by members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) demanding justice for the student.

The sexual assault case also snowballed into a political row after the Opposition in Tamil Nadu targeted the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government over the “rise” in crimes against women, a charge rejected by the ruling party.

The Opposition also released photos of the accused with some DMK leaders, following which, chief minister MK Stalin issued a clarification that he was only a sympathiser and not a member.

“I assure you that the accused who has been arrested is not a DMK member but he is a DMK sympathiser,” Stalin had said.

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