Swift Justice: 30-Year Sentence for Anna University Assault Convict

A Mahila Court in Chennai has sentenced Gnanasekaran to life imprisonment without remission for 30 years, following his conviction for sexually harassing a student at Anna University in December last year. Alongside the jail term, the court imposed a fine of Rs 90,000 on the convict.

Public Prosecutor Marry Jayanthi expressed satisfaction with the verdict, affirming that the case, investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), was resolved within five months. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin lauded the swift work of the police, investigators, and legal teams in ensuring timely justice.

The verdict was also met with accusations from opposition parties, including AIADMK leader Edappadi Palaniswamy, who claimed that the ruling DMK party tried to shield the accused, a DMK sympathizer. Palaniswamy credited ongoing public and social media protests for securing justice in the case.

(With inputs from agencies.)