What's the Anna University sexual assault case
What's the story
A 19-year-old female student of Anna University in Chennai was sexually assaulted on the campus on Monday. The victim's male friend was also attacked by two unidentified men during the incident. The police were informed about the assault on Tuesday, following which an investigation was launched. A suspect, identified as Gnanasekharan, a 37-year-old biryani vendor from Kotturpuram, has been arrested in the case.
Public outrage
Protests erupt, political leaders demand action
After the incident, protests were held outside Anna University by members of the Students's Federation of India and the All India Women's Welfare Federation. The protesters demanded quick justice and transparency in the investigation. Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Annamalai also slammed the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government for its alleged failure to maintain law and order.
Political fallout
Annamalai criticizes DMK government, demands accountability
Further, Annamalai claimed that "Tamil Nadu, under the DMK government, has become a breeding ground of unlawful activities." He also alleged that non-functional CCTVs contributed to security lapses at Anna University and demanded accountability from Chief Minister MK Stalin. Meanwhile, AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami compared the incident to the Nirbhaya case and called for immediate action against those responsible.
Official response
Higher Education Minister assures preventive measures
Tamil Nadu's Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhian has assured preventive measures will be taken at the university level to ensure campuses are safe. He also criticized opposition parties for politicizing the incident, and spoke about past incidents under previous regimes. The police have formed special teams to nab all suspects in this case and are reviewing CCTV footage and conducting inquiries on campus.