Chennai court sentences 30 years of prison to Gnanasekaran in the Anna University Rape Case
In the Anna University rape case, a Chennai Mahila Court has sentenced a Gnanasekaran to 30 years of jail sentence.
Aadrika Tayal 
New Delhi (India) June 2: On Monday, June 2, 2025, the Mahila Court in Chennai sentenced Gnanasekar, 37, the only individual found guilty in the sexual assault case at Anna University, to life in prison for at least 30 years without the possibility of release.
The court found Gnanasekar guilty of violating 11 sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 64(1)(rape).
Judge M Rajalakshmi imposed the punishment because of the seriousness of the offence. She said,“For the charge under Section 64(1) of the BNS, you are sentenced to life imprisonment for a minimum period of 30 years without remission. Also, a ₹25,000-fine is imposed under this section, and if you default to pay the fine, you will have to undergo simple imprisonment for three months.”
The incident happened on the Anna University campus on December 23, 2024, when the survivor, a 19-year-old student, was out with a male friend. In the evening, Gnanasekar, who owned a biryani restaurant came into campus, blackmailed the two students and then sexually assaulted the student. According to the charge sheet, he also used his phone to record the incident.
The sexual assault case had been investigated by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was set up by the Madras High Court and consisted of female officers.
The attack led Anna University to increase campus security by installing CCTV and more security guards. A combined security check was also carried out by the institution and the police.
After taking suo motu cognisance of the issue, the Madras High Court ordered the state government to compensate the 19-year-old student with ₹ 25 Lakh and Anna University to fund her education for their failure to ensure her safety.
The conviction resulted in individual terms from one month to ten years in prison, and the court also imposed more penalties under ten more sections of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, the Information Technology Act, and the BNS. Gnanasekar has also been fined a total of ₹90,000, and all of the punishments will run consecutively.
Aadrika Tayal
