Life term for the man who sexually assaulted 19-year-old in Anna University

mangaloretoday.com/NDTV

Chennai, June 01, 2025: Gnanasekaran, a biryani vendor convicted in the high-profile sexual assault case at the Anna University, has been sentenced to life imprisonment. He has also been fined Rs 90,000, a Mahila Court in Chennai read out the punishment for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old student last December.

The convict must remain in prison for at least 30 years, said Judge M Rajalakshmi.

The judge found Gnanasekaran guilty on all 11 charges last week, including sexual assault, rape, intimidation, and kidnapping. At least 29 witnesses testified in the case, and the police filed a 100-page chargesheet.

He had earlier pleaded for minimum punishment, citing his need to be at home to look after his elderly mother and eight-year-old daughter. But in view of his conviction on all the charges, he must get the maximum punishment, the judge had said.

On December 23, Gnanasekaran entered the university campus and attacked a friend of the teenager, and then sexually assaulted her. He had also filmed the act with an intention to blackmail her. He was arrested the same day.

The sexual assault case that found closure after five months of trial had also sparked a massive row in December.

Welcoming the conviction, Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami had raised that the convict had spoken to a certain "sir" during the sexual assault. The identity of this alleged person remains unknown, with the police saying he had only pretended to speak to someone, and no one else was involved.