Political and public outrage reached a boiling point in Tamil Nadu as the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and All Indian Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) ramp up protests over the sexual assault of a student at Anna University. Leading the charge for the PMK women’s wing, Soumya Anbumani staged a fiery protest in Chennai with the slogan “Am I Next?”, demanding immediate justice for the survivor and systemic reforms to protect students in Anna University and other campuses.
BJP state president K Annamalai took a dramatic approach by lashing himself with a whip in Coimbatore as part of his protest against the incident, vowing to remove the DMK government from power. The AIADMK joined the movement, with its IT Wing holding protests across the state, spotlighting government negligence with the slogan “Who is that, sir?”
PMK Protest
In response to the Anna University incident, the PMK has mounted a campaign under the slogan “Am I Next?”. Posters bearing this question were plastered across Chennai ahead of the protest at Valluvar Kottam. Soumya Anbumani, addressing the gathering, called for stringent action against the accused and a thorough investigation into the case, including the alleged involvement of others.
“The safety of our students should be non-negotiable,” she said. “This is not just about one incident but a larger failure to ensure a secure environment for our youth.”
The protest, however, faced resistance from authorities, as the Chennai police denied permission for the gathering, citing security concerns. Despite this, a significant number of protesters assembled, prompting heavy police deployment at the venue to maintain order.
Protest By BJP
Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai lashed himself six times with a whip on 27 December 2024 outside his residence in Coimbatore as part of a personal protest against the sexual assault of an Anna University student.
Annamalai had announced the previous day that he would whip himself as a symbolic protest against the incident. He also vowed not to wear slippers until the DMK government is removed from power in Tamil Nadu.
The BJP leader said he would pray at all six temples of Lord Muruga, the revered war deity in southern India. The former IPS officer has been leading the Tamil Nadu BJP aggressively and has been vocal in his criticism of the ruling DMK government.
Annamalai condemned the police for leaking the FIR related to the sexual assault case, which resulted in the identification of the 19-year-old victim, an engineering student at Anna University. He accused the authorities of intentionally leaking the details and failing to ensure the safety and anonymity of the survivor.
The BJP president further alleged that the accused, Gnanashekaran, was not included in the police’s rowdy list despite being involved in several criminal cases already. He claimed that this omission was due to Gnanashekaran’s close ties with DMK leaders and provided evidence of the accused’s affiliation with the ruling party.
Protest By ADMK
The AIADMK IT Wing members staged a protest at the Express Avenue Mall in Royapettah, Chennai, holding banners with the slogan “Who is that sir?” to draw attention to the recent sexual assault of a student on the Anna University campus and to criticize the Tamil Nadu government’s handling of the case. Posters with the slogan “Who is that sir?” have been plastered across several cities, including Chennai, Karur, Thanjavur, and Tirunelveli. The posters also feature hashtags like #SaveOurDaughters.
During the protest at Express Avenue Mall, AIADMK IT Wing members addressed the public, including women shoppers, to highlight their concerns about the incident and alleged lapses by the government. Videos of the demonstration are circulating widely on social media, drawing mixed reactions from the public.
Protest By TVK
Women cadre from the actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam were arrested for distributing pamphlets containing a handwritten letter by Vijay condemning the assault case at the entrance of VR Mall in Chennai. They aimed to raise awareness about the sexual assault incident on the Anna University campus. Similarly, members of the women’s wing of the Karur District of TVK were questioned and arrested after presenting the letter in front of the Karur Government Arts College gate. The police raised concerns about the unauthorized distribution of the letter, causing a stir in the area.
Background
On 23 December 2024, a woman, who was in a two-year relationship with a fellow student, was attacked while spending time with her boyfriend at a secluded spot on campus.
Two unknown individuals approached the couple, assaulted the boyfriend, and sexually assaulted the woman. The assailants forced her to strip, filmed her without consent, threatened her, and fled the scene. The traumatized victim later reported the incident to the Kotturpuram police.
In connection with the case, police have arrested 37-year-old Gnanasekaran, a roadside biryani vendor from Kotturpuram with multiple pending cases against him. The police have filed charges under Section 64 of the BNSS and are actively investigating the matter.
The victim also lodged a complaint with the university’s POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) committee. Meanwhile, the Chennai police, in collaboration with the university, are working to enhance campus security.
However, it came to light that the accused Gnanasekaran is a repeat offender and a DMK functionary. Pictures circulating on social media show him alongside several prominent DMK leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and Minister Ma. Subramanian.
FIR Reveals Shocking Details
The shocking details came to light after the All Women Police Station (AWPS) in Raja Annamalai Puram filed the FIR, which reveals a sequence of terrifying events that unfolded on 23 December 2024, within the Anna University campus.
The FIR states that Gnanasekaran filmed the survivor and her boyfriend on the campus before taking things to a terrifying level. He allegedly threatened to leak the footage to the university dean and the couple’s parents unless the student complied with his demands.
He then forcibly took the survivor to a secluded area behind the Highway Lab Building and the Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) department building, where he presented her with three horrifying options: one, to be expelled from the university by the dean based on the footage he threatened to release; two, to “spend time” with him; and three, to “spend time” with another man who had reportedly called the accused before the assault.
The Assault
According to the FIR, after making these threats, Gnanasekaran sexually assaulted the survivor between 7:45 PM and 8:20 PM on 23 December 2024. He also took a picture of her college ID card and extracted her father’s contact information from her phone before fleeing the scene. The survivor, in her written complaint, described how Gnanasekaran had received a phone call from an unknown person, during which he mentioned threatening the girl and leaving her.
The police investigation revealed that Gnanasekaran is no stranger to criminal activity, with seven other pending cases against him, including charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for lurking house trespass and theft. He has now been charged under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections for rape and sexual harassment.
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