The Chennai Mahila Court is set to deliver its verdict on Wednesday in the case of the December 23 rape of a student on the Anna University campus. The sole accused in the case is A. Gnanasekaran, a 37-year-old biryani vendor.

The incident came to light on December 25, following a complaint lodged by the survivor a day earlier at the Kotturpuram All Women Police Station. According to the complaint, Gnanasekaran allegedly threatened the student and her male friend before sexually assaulting her. He also reportedly recorded the assault on his mobile phone.

Gnanasekaran was subsequently arrested by the Greater Chennai Police and remanded to judicial custody.

The case drew public attention after the FIR was downloaded from the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) website of the Tamil Nadu Police and circulated by some media outlets, sparking widespread outrage.

In response, the Madras High Court transferred the investigation to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) composed entirely of women officers. The SIT also looked into the unauthorized leak of the FIR. A charge sheet was filed by the SIT in late February before a magistrate court.

The case was later moved to the Mahila Court, which formally charged Gnanasekaran under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), including provisions related to rape, sexual harassment, wrongful confinement, abduction, and criminal trespass. Additional charges were filed under Section 66 of the Information Technology Act and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Women Harassment Act. Gnanasekaran pleaded not guilty.

Also read: Anna University girl student ‘sexually assaulted’, biryani seller arrested