Anna University sexual assault accused a ‘DMK functionary’; Annamalai whips himself, vows to walk barefoot

NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai whips himself to protest against the alleged sexual assault on a female student of Anna University. This comes after the AIADMK and BJP leaders, who attempted to stage a protest on Thursday condemning the ruling DMK’s ‘apathy’ in handling the case, were detained by the police.

The Tamil Nadu BJP chief has vowed to walk barefoot until the DMK government is unseated, as per media reports.

In a letter addressing National Commission for Women chairperson, Vijaya K Rahatkar, Annamalai said that Gnanasekharan, aged 37, who is said to be a street food seller, was arrested and sent to judicial custody. The accused reportedly had a history of over 15 cases pending on him, including sexual assault cases.

Accused a ‘functionary of DMK’

Annamalai claimed that the accused was a functionary of the DMK. He held the deputy organising secretary post in DMK Students Wing, Saidapet East.

Expressing grief over the injustice meted out to a female student of Anna University, Guindy campus, Chennai, the BJP chief informed the NCW that a repeat offender had trespassed into the campus on December 23 and sexually assaulted the female student after blackmailing her with videos and pictures with her male friend.

“It has been reported that he not only physically assaulted the friend of the female student. but also exerted violence on the female student to make her oblige to his sexual demands,” he said. A day after the shocking incident, the female student registered a complaint with the Tamil Nadu Police, after which an FIR was filed.

Not the first crime

“This is not the first time a sexual offender belonging to the DMK was involved in an offence against women. On 14-08-2024, four were in a gang rape of a young woman, including a person named Kavidasan (functionary of DMK and Deputy Chief Minister Thiru Udaynidhi Stalin's fan club) in Orathanadu of Thanjavur district,” Annamalai wrote in the letter.

In another similar incident, on January 2, 2023, wherein “two persons belonging to the Youth Wing of the DMK were involved in the sexual assault of a woman police constable who was on duty at an event organised for DMK MP Kanimozhi in Virugambakkam, Chennai”. And a year before that, a local DMK functionary, along with a few others, was involved in a gang-rape of a 22-year-old woman in Virudhunagar after blackmailing her over a video.

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‘Negligence’ of Tamil Nadu police

Annamalai also expressed disappointment over the support extended by the local DMK leaders, MLAs, and ministers to the perpetrators of crimes against women. “In the case of the female student at Anna University, what is even more intolerable is the fact that the Tamil Nadu Police has made public the details of the identity of the victim along with her residential address through the FIR copy,” he said.

Taking a dig at the DMK government over the non-functioning CCTV cameras among other inefficiencies, Annamalai said that the heinous and imprudent act of the Tamil Nadu Police is a blatant breach of the rights of the victim.

Referring to Supreme Court case, Annamalai stated the order, which read: “No person can print or publish in print, electronic, social media, etc. the name of the victim or even in a remote manner disclose any facts which can lead to the victim being identified and which should make her identity known to the public at large".

To add on, Section 72 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita says that “Whoever prints or publishes the name or any matter which may make known the identity of any person against whom an offence under section 64 or section 65 or section 66 or section 67 or section 68 or section 69 or section 70 or section 71 is alleged or found to have been committed (hereafter in this section referred to as the victim) shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years and shall also be liable to fine.”

He urged the NCW to take strenuous action against the persons involved in revealing the survivors identity to the general public. Further, it also demanded the women’s commission to take action against the state police department for their “willful negligence”.