Anna University rape case: Chennai court sentences sole accused Gnanasekaran to life, 30-year minimum term

CHENNAI: The Chennai Mahila Court on Monday sentenced the sole accused in the Anna University rape case, A Gnanasekaran, to life imprisonment. He must undergo at least 30 years of imprisonment.

Mahila Court Judge M Rajalakshmi passed the order four days after declaring him guilty of all 11 charges framed, including rape.
On December 24, a complaint was lodged by the survivor at the Kotturpuram All Women Police Station (AWPS), alleging that Gnanasekaran threatened her when she was with a male friend on the university campus and then raped her. According to the prosecution, Gnanasekaran recorded the act on his mobile phone.

As the identity of the victim was leaked in the public domain on December 26, the Madras High Court constituted an all-women Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case.

On February 24, the SIT completed the probe and filed a 100-page charge sheet before the jurisdictional magistrate. On March 7, the case was transferred to the Mahila Court, which framed charges against Gnanasekaran under sections 329 (criminal trespass), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 87 (abduction of a woman), 127(2), 75(2) read with 75(i), (ii), (iii), 76, 64(1) (rape), 351(3), 238(b) of BNS and BNSS, Section 66 of the IT Act, and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Women Harassment Act.