NEW DELHI: In new details emerged in the Anna University sexual assault case on Thursday, it has been claimed that accused Gnanasekaran had intimidated the victim and asked her to meet him whenever he called.
The fresh findings in the case claim that the man not only allegedly sexually assaulted the woman, but also threatened to tarnish her reputation online if she didn’t oblige him by meeting as he wished.
Detailing what happened the night of the incident, police said while the student was talking with her male friend, the accused arrived at the spot and said he had filmed them talking and intimidated, by asking them about the consequences if he were to release that video clip. The accused did not budge even if the duo pleaded to delete the video.
Later, the accused threatened the young man, also a student, to leave the spot immediately and later sexually assaulted the woman ignoring her pleas.
Women’s rights panel weighs in
The National Commission for Women (NCW) also took cognisance of the incident and condemned it. The body wrote to Tamil Nadu DGP Shankar Jiwal, asking him to slap Section 71 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which deals with repeat offenders, against the accused.
The NCW claimed that the accused was a habitual offence having committed similar crimes in the past. It also said that Gnanasekaran is associated with the ruling DMK party’s student wing.
“It has been observed by the Commission that the accused is a habitual offender and has even committed similar crimes in the past, and is the deputy organizer of the DMK’s Saidai East student wing. Furthermore, it has been alleged that all cases registered against him are being shelved.”
The panel also asked the state police chief to send copies of all the FIRs against Gnanasekaran (inclusive of previous and current cases), and the details of the action taken in such cases.
The NCW said the victim must be provided with free of cost medical treatment including psychological counselling.
Uproar over victim’s identity
The NCW lashed out at the state authorities, claiming that police made “public the details of the identity of the victim”. The panel sought strict against the delinquent police officer for compromising the victim’s identity.
Not only the NCW but also the political parties, including the AIADMK, BJP and CPI(M) condemned the police for disclosing the details of the victim through the FIR copy.
Annamalai’s ‘barefoot’ vow
Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai vowed not to wear sandals and walk barefoot until the DMK regime is dislodged and would lash himself with a whip on Friday.
Annamalai also posted a photo of the accused with DMK leaders and alleged that he was a ruling party’s student wing office-bearer. The BJP leader alleged that the accused committed the crime emboldened by his affiliation to the ruling party.
“This is very simple,” he told news agency PTI at Coimbatore. Since he was associated with the DMK, police did not act against him, he asserted and wanted to know about the use of Nirbhaya funds to prevent such crimes.
One photograph that purportedly showed the accused, close to deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, was being circulated. There was also another photo that showed the accused with health miniser Ma Subramanian.
DMK govt assures action
Tamil Nadu law minister S Regupathi said the accused in the varsity student sexual assault case was not even a primary member of the DMK.
DMK leader and MP Kanimozhi, expressing shock over the incident, said it was appalling that the same accused was a “history sheeter,’ who had “sexually intimidated” several girl students for a long time. She demanded tough punishment for the accused.
Regupathi said the accused, Gnanasekaran, was arrested in a matter of five to six hours showing police’s swift action and the government had no necessity to hide anything, he told reporters. While the accused was not even an ordinary party member, some sections of media claimed as if he was an office-bearer of the students wing and it was wrong.
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