Anna University Sexual Assault Case: All You Need To Know

A dramatic protest unfolded on Friday morning in Tamil Nadu. BJP state president K. Annamalai staged a unique demonstration in front of his residence in Coimbatore. The BJP Chief whipped himself in the presence of the media reporters and other BJP leaders.

This comes after a promise he made yesterday at a press conference. He condemned the ruling DMK government and the state police. The protest came in response to the mishandling of a sexual assault case involving a female student from Anna University in Chennai.

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The visuals of the incident show a shirtless K Annamalai, dressed in a traditional green dhoti, flogging himself with a white whip. The demonstration took place outside his residence near Kalapatti in Coimbatore. The BJP supporters were carrying placards with slogans. The slogans read: “Don’t you have any shame Stalin?” and “#ShameOnYouStalin”

Following the protest, Annamalai addressed the media present there. He said,” Removing my shoes, I have taken this decision after much consideration. Hence, I request all the party workers and leaders to work harder than the state. Because the 2026 goal should be to remove DMK from power and regain Tamil Nadu’s lost glory,”.

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Annamalai had announced his decision to remove his footwear as a mark of protest. He vowed to walk barefoot and abstain from wearing sandals until the DMK government is ousted. He also declared a 48-day fast to protest the “atrocities” under the DMK regime

He further said, “Flogging ourselves, punishing ourselves, putting ourselves through very tough rituals are all part of this culture. It is not against any person or not against anything. It is against the continuous injustice that’s happening in the state. What has happened in Anna University is only a tipping point,”.

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The state BJP President also talked about his ancestral rituals. Calling it a traditional practice deeply rooted in Tamil culture. He said, “A lot of my forefathers walked this path and I have also chosen it. This is a process of surrendering to the higher power, surrendering to God. “Crimes against women are increasing in Tamil Nadu, and we cannot remain silent. My actions are a plea to Lord Murugan and a call for change.”

Yesterday while addressing a press conference Annamalai promised to flog himself 6 times. But today he lashed himself eight times. However, his supporters intervened to stop him after initial attempts. Furthermore, the women party members were seen in tears, pleading with him to refrain from such acts. They warn that they might follow suit if he continues to hit himself.

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The whole controversy revolves around the sexual assault of a second-year Anna University student on December 24. Chilling details of the assault emerged on Thursday with the FIR. The FIR detailed the harrowing 40 minutes that the survivor faced at the hands of the offender. The main accused is a street vendor who sells biryani close to the university campus

According to reports, the accused, Gnanasekaran, a 37-year-old man, entered the campus. He allegedly sexually assaulted the second-year female student. He also thrashed a fourth-year male student, who was accompanying her. The accused was arrested following a police investigation. Students at the university held protests demanding justice and the arrest of the accused.

Meanwhile, the BJP has alleged that Gnanasekaran has links to the ruling DMK. However, the claim has been strongly denied by the party. Law Minister S. Regupathi dismissed the claims of the accused’s affiliation with the party.

Further adding to the trouble, the FIR in the case, which allegedly contained the survivor’s personal details, was leaked on Thursday. This incident drew widespread backlash with Annamalai accusing the police of intentionally shaming the victim.

Speaking to media reporters on Thursday evening, Greater Chennai Police Commissioner A Arun said a possible software glitch may have allowed the FIR to be downloaded. A separate FIR has been registered to probe the leak, he added. Following this Annamalai slammed the Chennai Police Commissioner’s explanation that a technical glitch caused the leak, saying, “An FIR cannot walk on its own to a mobile screen.”

He further questioned, “How did the FIR enter the public domain? You have revealed the survivor’s identity by leaking the FIR. The FIR also shows the survivor in a poor light,” he said, hitting out at law minister S Regupathy. “Where did the Nirbhaya fund go? Why was there no CCTV camera on Anna University campus,”

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According to reports, it’s unclear if the FIR was downloaded from the Tamil Nadu police’s Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) portal. However, a message on the police website later on Thursday said the FIR was blocked by a competent authority

Annamalai wrote to the chairperson of the National Commission for Women Vijaya K Rahatkar. In the letter, he stated that TN police made the survivor’s identity public along with her address through the FIR copy. He said this was a move by the DMK government to malign the survivor’s character.

In response The chairperson of NCW)Vijaya Rahatkar has written to Tamil Nadu’s Director General of Police Shankar Jiwal, urging strict action against those responsible. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also condemned the leak. It stated that the leak violates the law and Supreme Court guidelines. The NCW is reportedly considering sending a team to Chennai to assess the situation.

The opposition parties, including the AIADMK and BJP, have staged protests across the state. Hundreds of cadres and leaders of the AIADMK and BJP, including former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, were detained by the police outside the Anna University campus for protesting against the incident.