News Tamil Nadu

NCW Takes Suo Moto Action On Anna University Sexual Harassment Case Following BJP TN Chief Annamalai’s Appeal

December 26, 2024
The Commune

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has initiated a suo moto case following a letter from Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai on 26 December 2024. The letter highlighted a sexual harassment incident involving a female student at Anna University. The accused allegedly blackmailed the victim using videos and pictures of her with a male friend. The arrested individual, reportedly a member of the ruling DMK and serving as the Deputy Organising Secretary of the DMK Students Wing, Saidapet East, has raised concerns about possible interference in the case. Annamalai urged the Commission to prioritize the matter and demanded stringent action against those responsible for publicly revealing the victim’s identity. He also criticized the State Police Department for negligence and for violating the victim’s privacy by including her personal details in the FIR.

In response, the National Commission for Women (NCW) issued a statement on their official X account on 26 December, stating, “The NCW has taken suo moto cognizance of the disturbing sexual assault of a 19-year-old student from Anna University, Chennai. The Commission condemns this heinous act in the strongest terms and stands with the victim in her fight for justice. The NCW highlights that the accused is a habitual offender, with Tamil Nadu Police failing to act on previous cases. This negligence has emboldened him to commit such crimes, raising serious concerns about the collapsing law and order situation in Tamil Nadu. NCW Chairperson Smt. Vijaya Rahatkar has directed the TN DGP to:

  1. Ensure free medical care and protection for the victim. 
  2. Add Sec 71 of BNS, 2023, to the FIR for stricter punishment. 
  3. Take action against officers for publicly revealing the victim’s identity, violating SC guidelines and Section 72 BNS”

On 26 December 2024, Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai has urged the National Commission for Women to prioritize a sexual harassment case involving a female student at Anna University, where the accused allegedly blackmailed her and is linked to the ruling DMK. He criticized the State Police for negligence in revealing the victim’s identity and called for strict action against those involved. Annamalai also raised concerns about potential political interference in the case.

In a statement released by TN BJP Chief K. Annamalai on his official X account on 26 December 2024, he wrote to the National Commission for Women (NCW), stating, “Madam, I am writing to you with deep grief about the grave injustice meted out to a female student studying at Anna University, Guindy campus, Chennai, where a repeated sexual offender trespassed into the campus on 23-12-2024 to sexually assault her after blackmailing her with videos and pictures of her being with her male friend recorded on his phone. It has been reported that he not only physically assaulted the friend of the female student but also exerted violence on the female student to make her oblige to his sexual demands. “

“The news of the grievous incident created a furore among the public after the girl student gained the courage to report the incident to the Tamil Nadu police on 24-12-2024, after which an FIR was filed. On behalf of BJP Tamil Nadu, a statement condemning the incident and the need to nab the perpetrator immediately and produce him before the court of justice was made on 25-12-2024, and only post that the accused, Gnanasekharan, aged 37, who is said to be a streetside food seller, was arrested and sent to judicial custody.” He added.

“It was reported that the accused, Gnanasekharan, was a history sheeter with over 15 cases pending on him, including a similar sexual assault case against him filed a few years back. After his pictures were made public, it came to light that the accused was a functionary of the DMK (Deputy Organising Secretary, DMK Students Wing, Saidapet East). A condemnation statement was made on behalf of the Tamil Nadu BJP on the free run history sheeters and repeated offenders enjoy in Tamil Nadu under the shield of being a functionary in the DMK where the seniors in the DMK have cuffed the police force’s hands. Madan, this is not the first time a sexual offender belonging to the DMK was involved in an offence against women. ” He added

“On 14-08-2024, four were in a gang rape of a young woman, including a person named Kavidasan (functionary of DMK & Deputy Chief Minister Thiru Udaynidhi Stalin’s fan club) in Orathanadu of Thanjavur district. On 02-01-2023, two persons belonging to the Youth Wing of the DMK were involved in the sexual assault of a woman police constable who was on duty at an event organised for DMK MP Smt Kanimozhi in Virugambakkam, Chennai. On 22-03-2022, a local DMK functionary, along with a few others, was involved in a gang rape of a 22-year-old woman in Virudhunagar after blackmailing her over a video. It is disheartening that these perpetrators of crimes against women have influence over the police force of Tamil Nadu with the fullest support from local DMK leaders, MLAs and Ministers. In the case of the female student at Anna University, what is even more intolerable is the fact that the Tamil Nadu Police has made public the details of the identity of the victim along with her residential address through the FIR copy. This heinous and imprudent act of the TN police is a blatant breach of the rights of the victim. The act seems to be a concerted effort of the TN Police and the ruling DMK dispensation to malign the victim’s character to salvage the state’s collapsed maintenance of Law and Order.” He further added.

“Madam, we want to mention a relevant excerpt from the Honourable Supreme Court Case of X vs. the State of Jharkhand (Writ Petition (C) No. 1352 of 2019, decided on January 20, 2021).

  • This court in Nipun Saxena? has occasion to consider Section 228-A wherein this court in para 50.1 has issued the following directions: (SCC p. 723).
  • No person can print or publish in print, electronic, social media, etc. the name of the victim or even in a remote manner disclose any facts which can lead to the victim being identified and which should make her identity known to the public at large.
  • The law with regard to Section 228-A is well established, all including the media, both print and electronic have to follow the law. To add on, Section 72 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita says that Whoever prints or publishes the name or any matter which may make known the identity of any person against whom an offence under section 64 or section 65 or section 66 or section 67 or section 68 or section 69 or section 70 or section 71 is alleged or found to have been committed (hereafter in this section referred to as the victim) shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years and shall also be liable to fine. 

We kindly request that your good office intervene in this matter with the highest priority, taking strenuous action against the persons involved in this detestable act of revealing the victim’s identity to the general public, the State Police Department for their willful negligence, and also flagging the ruling
DMK government’s failure to protect the women of the state against such dreadful crimes.”

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