Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin congratulated the state police and judiciary after Gnanasekaran, the accused in the in the high-profile Anna University sexual assault case, was found guilty by a Mahila court in Chennai on May 28.
In a statement released on Thursday, May 29, the CM said, “Our police force have brought swift justice, in just five months. I thank the Investigating Officers (IOs), government prosecutors, and the honourable court for their efforts. I reiterate this to the police regularly: ‘Crimes should not occur. If they do, no criminal should evade justice. The investigation must be swift, and punishment must be ensured’.”
Stalin also responded to the widespread criticism the state government received regarding the case: “We have shattered the malicious intentions of the Opposition party who once presided over a regime that served as a haven for crimes. Now, they resort to slander and petty politics.”
The horrific case first came to light in December 2024. Gnanasekaran, a biriyani seller and known history-sheeter from Kotturpuram in Chennai, sexually assaulted a woman student in Anna University, filmed and blackmailed her. He was charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) provisions, including sections 63(a) and 64(1) for rape, and 75(1)(ii) and (iii) for sexual harassment. He was additionally booked under the stringent Goondas Act .
The state government faced widespread criticism after photographs of Gnanasekaran with DMK leaders were circulated on social media. Opposition parties alleged that the accused was a DMK member himself. Following the allegations, Stalin said in January this year that Gnanasekaran was only a “party sympathiser.”
The case also stirred controversy after the Tamil Nadu police uploaded the First Information Report (FIR) related to the assault on their public website, revealing sensitive identification details of the survivor. The breach was widely condemned by legal experts, activists, and the public, who criticised the authorities for failing to safeguard the survivor’s privacy.
Meanwhile, On May 29, welcoming the judgement, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami accused the CM of trying to politically capitalize on the issue and take credit for the Madras High Court’s actions.
Reacting to Stalin’s statement, EPS further said, “There are several questions that remain unanswered. Why was the accused released immediately after his first arrest and arrested again later? Why was the DMK minister and the Chennai Deputy Mayor [M Mahesh Kumar] who ate biriyani with the accused not questioned? Why did Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Raghavendra Ravi resign from the SIT?”
It may be recalled that the SIT—consisting of three senior IPS officers Bhukya Sneha Priya, Ayman Jamal, and S Brinda—submitted their chargesheet earlier in February. The SIT was formed in December 2024. According to a DTNext report in January, DSP Raghavendra Ravi stepped down as the cybercrime expert of the SIT citing medical reasons.
In another statement, EPS said, “The Madras High Court ordered the formation of the SIT because of how poorly your administration was handling the case. Was your police force able to deliver justice? Crimes continue to occur despite you saying that they should not. There is no greater proof that you are a puppet chief minister.” The AIADMK general secretary also emphasised that Gnanasekaran had been a DMK sympathiser.