Gnanasekaran, the accused in the Anna University sexual assault case, was admitted to Stanley Medical College Hospital on Wednesday, January 22. He reportedly suffered seizures. Since January 20, he had been kept under police custody for the Special Investigation Team (SIT) – constituted by the Madras High Court (HC) to investigate the case – to interrogate him.
Gnanasekaran was arrested by the Greater Chennai Police (GCP) on December 25 for allegedly sexually assaulting a female student inside the Anna University campus on December 23. He also allegedly filmed the assault and blackmailed the survivor. He was booked for rape and sexual harassment.
After the First Information Report (FIR) in the case had been leaked, revealing sensitive details of the survivor, the Madras HC came down heavily on the Chennai police. A bench of Justices SM Subramaniam and V Lakshminarayanan ordered the Tamil Nadu government to pay an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the victim.
The court also ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising three IPS (Indian Police Service) officers to investigate the Anna University alleged sexual assault case.
Ganansekaran was also detained under the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug Offenders, Forest Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Slum Grabbers, and Video Pirates Act, 1982, commonly known as the Goondas Act. Under this Act, an individual can be detained without bail for up to one year. Gnanasekaran was lodged in Puzhal central prison in Chennai.