Latest news with #Gnanasekaran
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Time of India
Former panchayat president takes govt school students on flight to Chennai
COIMBATORE: Former president of Sikkarampalayam panchayat in Coimbatore district sponsored a flight trip to Chennai for around 150 govt school students, their parents and teachers. This is the fifth year since he started arranging air travel for students of Kannarpalayam Government High School in Karamadai block in the district. 'The flight trips inspire and motivate the students. Most of their parents are daily wage earners, and it brings them immense joy to fly alongside their children,' said Gnanasekaran who is doing business now. 'We couldn't accommodate all the students and parents in a single trip, so we divided them into four groups this year. So far, we completed three trips, and the final one is scheduled for July 12. In that trip, we will accommodate another 50 students, along with their parents and teachers,' he added. Kavinaya, a Class X student, expressed her excitement and said, 'I am very happy to fly for the first time with my friends. We visited the BM Birla Planetarium and watched a 3D show, explored the Anna Centenary Library, Vivekanandar Illam and Marina Beach. It was an unforgettable day.' M Abirami, another Class X student, said, 'My mother accompanied me on the flight. These trips motivate us to do well in our studies. Travelling on the Chennai Metro was also a thrilling experience. We returned to Coimbatore in an air-conditioned train coach.'
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
AU rape case: HC bins plea for inquiry into Annamalai's claims
Chennai: Madras high court on Tuesday refused to entertain a plea moved by a lawyer seeking the interrogation of former BJP state president K Annamalai and an inquiry into his claim of possessing evidence to prove the involvement of others in the Dec 2024 Anna University (AU) rape case. The trial court completed the trial and concluded that no other person was involved in the crime. The court cannot probe into the merits of statements or claims made by politicians, Justice P Velmurugan said. The court then dismissed the plea moved by advocate M L Ravi. According to the petitioner, on Feb 1, he made a representation to the DGP and SIT seeking Annamalai's interrogation, which was not considered during the investigation stage, even as Annamalai issued press statements claiming knowledge of details in the incident. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai Even after the June 3 verdict, confirming Gnanasekaran as the sole convict, Annamalai issued certain call details of Gnanasekaran, named certain persons, and mentioned that a police officer was in touch with the accused, the petition stated. Annamalai, a former IPS officer, should have known that not disclosing information in a criminal case would amount to a violation of criminal justice, he said. Annamalai should be questioned for concealing information or for misleading the public with wrong information if he does not have any such information, the petitioner added. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
The Hindu
13-06-2025
- The Hindu
Activist writes to PDJ complaining about non-receipt of protection as per court order
An activist from Vadipatti complaining about non-receipt of any protection under the Witness Protection Scheme as per the district court's order penned a letter to the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Madurai district Superintendent of Police and Deputy Director of Prosecution. The petitioner M. Gnanasekaran, an activist vocal about illegal practices of the mining companies, had faced death threats and even sustained injuries from a recent attack. Citing threats to his life, Mr. Gnanasekaran, on January 27, 2025, filed an application for protection under the Witness Protection Scheme. Even when the court granted him protection under the scheme on May 16, he alleged in the petition that no protection as stipulated in the order was extended to him and his family. 'The police, as per the order, have so far not installed any CCTVs around my house. Also, they do not carry out regular patrolling around my house,' he added. As his house was located near the road which was used to carry quarry materials and stones from the nearby quarries, he said any time a lorry could be used to eliminate him when he was on the road or even outside his house. Some of the recommended protections like installing security doors, alarms, fence around witness's house, monitoring of mail and telephone calls, close protection, ensuring that witness and the accused do not come face to face during investigation or trial, among others, were yet to be provided to the petitioner, he stated. Accusing senior police officials of Vadipatti station of being in a close relationship with the quarry owners, he said that a police inspector of a different station under the same jurisdiction should be entrusted with the duty to provide protection.
New Indian Express
05-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Anna University sexual assault case: Gnanasekaran's Goondas detention case put off
CHENNAI: A division bench of the Madras High Court consisting of justices MS Ramesh and V Lakshminarayanan on Wednesday adjourned by three months a habeas corpus petition filed by Gengadevi, mother of the Anna University rape convict Gnanasekaran, praying for quashing the order to invoke the Goondas Act against him. The bench stated that the petition was not fit for its intervention at this stage as it involves public order also. Gnanasekaran was detained under the Goonds Act on January 5 by an order of the Greater Chennai Police Commissioner. He was on Monday sentenced to life imprisonment for a minimum of 30 years without remission for raping the engineering student on the university premises.
Indian Express
04-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Ahead of 2026 election, how can DMK retain credibility and control the narrative?
The verdict in the Anna University sexual assault case — the Mahila Court sentenced 37-year-old biryani vendor Gnanasekaran to life imprisonment without remission for 30 years — marks a significant moment of judicial clarity. Examining forensic evidence, including mobile data that proved the accused had kept his phone on 'flight mode' for over two hours during the crime, the court dismissed speculation of multiple perpetrators. In fact, the judge found Gnanasekaran guilty under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Information Technology (IT) Act, and the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act (1998) — a verdict arrived at without political interference or procedural delay. However, legal closure rarely halts political rumour. Even as the public prosecutor warned that continued speculation could amount to contempt of court, the phrase 'Yaar Andha Sir?' ('Who is that sir?') has already entered political discourse, largely due to insinuations by AIADMK leaders and an opportunistic digital echo chamber. The truth, it seems, is not what is proved in court but what sticks in public memory. Ironically, the DMK government, often accused of political micro-management, allowed this case to move swiftly through an autonomous legal process. In a state where past sexual assault cases, like the Pollachi scandal, were delayed or allegedly mishandled, notably under the AIADMK's watch, this is not insignificant. Nevertheless, the opposition has deftly turned the DMK's early assertion that there was only one accused into a point of political attack, calling it 'prejudgement' and 'potential cover-up'. This episode reveals the broader question facing the DMK as it heads toward the 2026 assembly elections: How does the party retain credibility and control the narrative? The DMK's record over the last four years is, in many ways, better than its predecessors. Schemes centred around school-going children, women, and the youth have received appreciation. Other schemes like Illam Thedi Kalvi, Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam, and grievance redressal initiatives have improved state–citizen interaction, especially in rural Tamil Nadu. The government's efforts in resisting NEET, symbolically potent even if legally ineffective, have bolstered its pro-social justice image. Investments in government schools, Primary Health Centres (PHCs), and digital governance platforms also signal policy intent that is not merely rhetorical. However, the government's challenges are far from trivial. Tamil Nadu's graduate unemployment (16.78 per cent) remains uncomfortably high, and industrial job creation has failed to keep up with expectations. Chennai's chronic flooding and waste management failures have not seen systemic solutions, and the DMK's urban governance, while more responsive than before, lacks long-term vision. Add to this the unfolding TASMAC controversy, a potentially damaging scandal involving liquor procurement irregularities and alleged revenue manipulation. For many Tamil households, especially among the working poor, TASMAC is more than a public sector enterprise; it is a source of everyday distress. Women-led protests and growing anger around alcoholism have sharpened the moral critique of the government's alleged role in enabling addiction under the guise of revenue generation. Besides, actor-turned-politician Vijay's debut through Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam seems to have disrupted the Dravidian binary in a way few thought possible. Unlike fringe players like Seeman's NTK, Vijay carries an immense fan base and strong recall across age groups. His youth appeal and calculated distance from Hindutva politics make him formidable. Vijay has carefully crafted his messaging: anti-corruption, pro-education and socially inclusive. By not aligning with either Dravidian major or the BJP, he is attempting to occupy the unclaimed centre, a space attractive to urban, educated, and politically ambivalent first-time voters. If TVK contests all 234 seats, it may not win many outright, but it could split votes in enough constituencies to damage both DMK and AIADMK prospects. Meanwhile, the AIADMK is trying to regain lost ground under Edappadi K Palaniswami. While the party remains factionalised without a charismatic face, it still commands a sizeable rural base. Its attempts to link the Anna University case to a larger narrative of DMK complacency may not be grounded in evidence, but they are politically shrewd. In alliance with the BJP, the AIADMK hopes to capitalise on any anti-incumbency sentiment. However, this strategy remains fraught with risk: Tamil Nadu's electorate have consistently displayed a deep-rooted scepticism towards the BJP, viewing it as hostile to Tamil identity and interests, a perception that remains firmly embedded in the state's political consciousness. What must the DMK do, then? First, it must address the TASMAC issue head-on through transparency, audits, action against corruption, and a clear plan to reduce reliance on alcohol revenue. Second, the party must move beyond legacy rhetoric toward forward-looking governance. Digital skills training, green jobs, women's safety, and urban renewal should define its new language of social justice. Most crucially, it must seize control of the narrative. Though legally closed, the Anna University case remains a battle of perception. If the DMK stays reactive, allowing its record to be drowned out by slogans and suspicion, it risks ceding the larger electoral script. In Tamil Nadu, politically sharp and emotionally engaged voters expect more than performance; they demand trust, which is earned constantly. The DMK seems to have a strong chance in 2026. Stalin remains a credible leader, and the party's organisation is solid. But election results depend not just on incumbency or ideology but on timing, tone, and trust. The path to Fort St. George lies as much through governance as through the people's imagination. And in that realm, the verdict is never final. It is constantly being rewritten, tweet by tweet, poster by poster, speech by speech. The court may have ruled on Gnanasekaran. But in the court of public opinion, the DMK must still argue its case every single day, until the ballot speaks. The writer is an education consultant and political analyst based in Bengaluru
