Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai self-whips himself as a mark of protest to demand justice in the Anna University sexual assault case on Friday, December 27 in Coimbatore. According to an FIR registered against the accused, the 19-year-old student was allegedly forced to perform “sexual acts” with the accused and asked to continue meeting him regularly.
Annamalai yesterday said that he will undertake a fast for 48 days from today and won't wear footwear until the DMK is removed from power in Tamil Nadu, as a protest against the state govt over Anna University alleged sexual assault case.
"Anybody understanding the Tamil culture will always know these are all part of the land. Flogging ourselves, punishing ourselves and putting ourselves through tough rhythms are all part of this culture. This is not against any person or thing but against a continuous injustice that is happening in the state. What has happened at the Anna University is only a tipping point. If you look at what has been happening in the last 3 years, continuous injustice against common people, women, children and high corruption... Yesterday we announced and I have chosen to go the path which a lot of my forefathers have walked on, flogging ourselves and whipping," said K Annamalai.
The accused was arrested on Wednesday. The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Thursday took suo moto cognisance of the case and the DMK government was slammed over law and order by opposition AIADMK and BJP.
According to the reports, the incident occurred after a 37-year-old man entered a campus of Anna University in Chennai illegally on Wednesday and threatened second year college student who was then speaking to her male friend who is studying in the third year on December 23 around 8 pm behind the university building when the accused threatened them. He first assaulted the male student and then sexually molested the female student.
The girl filed a police complaint on December 24 at the Kotturpuram All Women’s police station. “The victim called on 100 (police helpline) and our police went to the University and arrested him on December 25,” A Arun, Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation told reporters.
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The accused, identified as Gnanasekaran, is a Biryani hawker in Kottur, a neighbourhood near the University. “There are 20 cases filed against the accused. He has been convicted in six of them,” the city commissioner said. The victim in her complaint said the that the accused certainly came from behind and recorded private moments with her boyfriend on his mobile and threatened to send it to her father and college authorities.