Chennai: The Mahila Court in Chennai on Monday sentenced the 37-year-old biriyani vendor, convicted of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old Anna University student after trespassing on the campus in December 2024, to life imprisonment for a minimum period of 30 years without remission.
Judge M Rajalakshmi had convicted the lone accused, Gnanasekaran, under 11 provisions, including Section 64(1)(rape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), on May 28, five months after the assault, which sparked statewide protests over women’s safety.
She delivered the verdict, emphasising the gravity of the crime, under Section 64(1) of the BNS. “Also, a Rs 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 also issued varying sentences, from one month to 10 years in prison, for the conviction and imposed additional fines under 10 sections of the BNS, Information Technology Act, and Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act. All sentences will run concurrently, with a total fine of Rs 90,000 imposed on Gnanasekar.
The victim told police that Gnanasekaran recorded private moments of her and her friend, threatened to leak the video, and assaulted her friend, a third-year student. He then coerced the victim to a secluded spot 200 meters away, sexually assaulted her, and used photos of her ID card and her father’s number to blackmail her into future meetings.
On December 28, 2024, the Madras High Court constituted an all-women Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the December 23, 2024, sexual assault case and the leak of the First Information Report (FIR), which resulted in the victim’s identity being revealed.
The SIT filed a 100-page charge sheet before the jurisdictional magistrate on February 24. On March 7, the case was transferred to the Mahila Court, which framed charges against Gnanasekaran under sections 329 (criminal trespass), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 87 (abduction of a woman), 127(2), 75(2) read with 75(i), (ii), (iii), 76, 64(1) (rape), 351(3), 238(b) of BNS and BNSS, Section 66 of the IT Act, and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Women Harassment Act.