Food vendor held for sexually assaulting student inside Chennai's Anna University campus

Chennai: In a shocking incident, a second-year engineering student of the prestigious Anna University was sexually assaulted, and her male friend attacked by a road-side vendor inside the sprawling campus in the heart of the city. The incident which took place in the evening of December 23 came to light after the victim lodged a police complaint on December 24.

The offender, 37-year-old Gnanasekaran who runs a road-side eatery in Kotturpuram near the university, has been arrested after police zeroed-in on him after going through multiple video footage sourced from CCTV cameras installed inside the premises.

“The suspect has confessed to the crime,” a senior police officer told DH.

The sexual assault of a student inside a “protected campus” triggered a massive outrage with opposition parties like the AIADMK and BJP viewing the incident as yet another instance of the “deteriorating” law and order situation in Tamil Nadu.

Anna University is the premier engineering institute in the state and its campus is spread over hundreds of acres of land in upscale Guindy.

The second-year engineering student and her male friend were talking behind a building in the university campus after dinner on Monday when they were struck by an individual who not just intimidated them but also filmed the duo.

After attacking the male student, the accused dragged the girl to near-by bushes.

“The man sexually assaulted the girl,” the officer told DH adding that the survivor is now undergoing counselling, the officer added. Police sources also claimed the accused was a “repeat offender” and used to roam in secluded areas of the university campus after 7 pm and was caught once for a sexual offence, but was released.

Police are investigating the case in coordination with the University Internal Complaints Committee (ICC-POSH) to which the student complained before knocking at the doors of the police.

A case under sections 63 (a) (rape), 64 (i) ( a man commits rape, on a woman incapable of giving consent), and 75 (sexual harassment) of BNS has been slapped against Gnanasekaran.

Several students associations held a protest outside the Anna University campus on Wednesday demanding protection for students who are staying inside the campus. Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai injected a political angle to the crime by sharing alleged pictures of the offender with DMK leaders saying he was part of the ruling dispensation.

While the police said a joint security review will be held by Greater Chennai Police (GCC) and the university security officers to appropriate action to improve the security of the students, the varsity said it was committed to ensuring justice to the survivor.

Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhian asked the Opposition parties not to “politicise” an incident that has affected “one student”, while handing out an assurance that necessary steps will be taken to ensure the safety and security of students.

Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami termed the incident as “shameful” and alleged that Chief Minister M K Stalin has failed in ensuring law and order in the state. “The CM was only interested in denying facts whenever I pointed out about the breakdown of law and order. Such incidents could have been prevented if the government had taken my criticism in the right stride,” Palaniswami said.

Annamalai said the state has become a breeding ground of unlawful activities and a haven for criminals

“Women don’t feel safe in the State anymore, as the Police are kept busy by the ruling administration to silence the opposition. BJP Tamil Nadu has to call for a protest for the police to act if the criminal is a functionary of DMK. This is the dire state of law & order in the State,” he said.

Annamalai asked Stalin to take responsibility at least now and address the people on the status of this case and “do justice to the portfolio he holds.”