Chennai: A girl student of the reputable College of Engineering, Guindy (CEG), in Tamil Nadu’s premier Anna University in Chennai, was sexually assaulted by a man on the campus on Monday night. The accused, a biryani seller, has been arrested.
The incident, which came to light on Wednesday, triggered widespread outrage among the student community and drew strong condemnation from opposition political party leaders. The Anna University’s CEG, located close to the Raj Bhavan and the IIT Madras campus, is one of the country’s leading technical institutions.
According to the Chennai Police, the girl was talking with her boyfriend, her senior in college, behind a building on the campus on Monday night when a man accosted and intimidated them. The accused then sexually assaulted the girl and escaped. “The incident happened around 8 pm on December 23. The girl lodged a complaint with the All Women Police Station in Kotturpuram on Tuesday based on which a FIR was registered and investigations were taken up,” a police officer said.
“Four special teams of police were formed with an Assistant Commission of Police heading the operation. The team, acting on clues and evidence, zeroed in on the accused Gnanasekaran, a 37-year-old resident of nearby Kottur and arrested him. The accused sells biriyani on the footpath and upon being questioned admitted to his role in the crime. He has been arrested,” the police said.
The police are conducted further investigation in coordination with the University Internal Complaints Committee (ICC-POSH). Further investigation is on to determine whether Gnanasekaran is involved in any other crime. A Joint Security Review will be held by Greater Chennai Police and the University Security Officers and appropriate action will be taken to improve the security of the students, the police said.
Meanwhile, students’ groups including the Students Federation of India staged demonstrations near the campus seeking security and action to prevent such crimes. Amidst strong criticisms from political parties, Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhiaan urged them not to “politicise” the incident and assured steps would be taken to ensure safety of students on campuses.
Expressing shock over the crime, Leader of Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said, “It is a shame that such a crime took place within the campus of a higher educational institution located in the heart of Chennai city. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has pushed law and order in the State backwards. Whenever I pointed out the lapses in the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu, the State government was only keen on opposing my statements. Had it acted promptly, we could have avoided such incidents.” PMK leader S Ramadoss and BJP state president K Annamalai were among those who condemned the incident and took the State Government to task.
