Sexual assault inside Chennai’s Anna University campus sparks outrage

According to police, the 37-year-old accused entered the university campus on Monday evening and sexually assaulted the second-year student at around 8pm behind a building after thrashing a fourth-year male student, who was accompanying her.

“The accused allegedly threatened the male student and forced him to flee the spot,” said a senior police official on condition of anonymity.

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The police registered a case under based on the woman’s complaint and arrested a man, who ran a biryani stall near the campus. HT reached out to police officers to know the sections under which the case was registered but they refused to divulge details, saying that the matter was under investigation.

“During the investigation, Gnanasekaran of Kottur (a neighbourhood near the college) has been arrested for this crime. The suspect has given a confessional statement,” the police said in a statement.

One of the premier higher education institutes of the country, Anna University has constantly featured among the top colleges and universities of the country in various national and international rankings. The incident sparked a massive outcry and raised questions over the safety of students at the university. Members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) staged a protest in front of the varsity, demanding justice for the woman and more steps to ensure the safety of students on campus.

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In a statement, the university said that it has formed an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) to probe the incident, with its officials saying that students’ safety is their top priority.

“The Internal Complaints Committee of the varsity has also commenced an inquiry. The university administration is extending full cooperation to the police…Security staff are always on duty on campus, and CCTVs have also been installed. We will strengthen security measures further so that such crimes do not recur,” institute’s registrar J Prakash in a statement.

The incident also triggered a political row with the Opposition targeting the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government over the “rise” in crimes against women, a charge rejected by the ruling party.

“It is disgraceful that such a heinous crime occurred at Anna University, a proud landmark of Tamil Nadu… I strongly condemn the DMK government for letting law and order deteriorate to a level where women cannot feel safe at educational institutions or workplaces,” AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) said.

State BJP president K Annamalai said women don’t feel safe in the state due to the deteriorating law and order situation. “This incident is not only shocking but leaves us paralysed with shame… Tamil Nadu, under the DMK government, has become a breeding ground of unlawful activities and a haven for criminals. Women don’t feel safe in the state anymore, as the police are kept busy by the ruling administration to silence the opposition,” he said.

The DMK rejected the Opposition’s charge and urged them not to politicise a heinous crime.

“It is unfortunate, and it [the incident] should not have happened. The culprit will be brought to justice. The Opposition have nothing to speak of politically, so they are using these crimes to say that there is a law and order problem. Let’s not confuse this crime with the overall law and order situation, which should be judged based on the police’s reaction to these crimes,” DMK spokesperson A Saravanan said.

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