Tamil Nadu BJP Chief Annamalai Whips Himself, demands justice in Anna University sexual assault case

Mangalore Today News Network

Tamil Nadu, December 27, 2024: To press for his demands on justice in the Anna University sexual assault case, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai self-whipped himself on Friday. A video of him whipping himself in front of several people outside his residence was being widely shared on social media.

On Thursday, Annamalai had said he would lash himself six times with a whip on December 27 at 10 am outside his residence in Coimbatore to draw people’s attention over the tragic sexual assault of the Anna University student. Also, it was to condemn the police, and the state government for its “apathy" in handling such matters.

VIDEO | BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai (@annamalai_k) whips himself outside his residence in Coimbatore to condemn the police, and the state government for their ’apathy’ in handling the case of sexual assault of a student of Anna University.#TamilNaduNews

(Full video… pic.twitter.com/v3G3DD3nn9

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 27, 2024

Tamil Nadu Law Minister S Regupathi asserted that the accused in the varsity student sexual assault case was not even a primary member of the DMK. The BJP leader alleged that the accused committed the crime emboldened by his affiliation with the ruling party.

“This is very simple," he told reporters. Since the accused was associated with the DMK, police did not act against him, he alleged, and wanted to know about the use of Nirbhaya funds to prevent such crimes.

Annamalai also questioned the way the First Information Report (FIR) was written and said it was drafted as if the victim had committed a crime.

“The DMK (government) should be ashamed of disclosing the identity of the victim," the Tamil Nadu BJP chief said.

Annamalai sexual assault case

A student at the varsity’s College of Engineering, Guindy, was sexually assaulted by an unknown person on December 23 at nearly 8 pm. The incident happened while she was with a male friend on the college campus, she alleged in her complaint.

Subsequently, four teams of police were constituted and the accused – a 37-year-old man who sells biryani on the pavement, was arrested.

“During investigation, based on scientific evidence, Gnanasekaran of Kottur (a neighbourhood near the college) has been arrested for this crime. The suspect has given a confessional statement. He is doing business by running a biryani shop on the pavement," the police said.

Further, the police said they were probing whether he had been involved in other crimes.

The investigation continued with the cooperation of the varsity’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC).
He had also said he would not wear sandals and walk barefoot until the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) regime is dislodged.

Addressing a press conference, Annamalai alleged that the accused, Gnanasekaran, was a DMK office-bearer, which was denied by the ruling party.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, showing photographs of the accused with DMK leaders, alleged that he was a ruling party’s student wing office-bearer.