Chennai, Feb 27 The Madras High Court on Thursday issued notice to the Tamil Nadu government, seeking its response to a petition challenging the preventive detention of Gnanasekaran, who was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a student of the Anna University.
A division bench of Justice M.S. Ramesh and Justice N. Senthilkumar heard the habeas corpus petition filed by D. Gengadevi, the mother of the accused, against his detention under the Goondas Act.
Appearing for the petitioner, advocate A. Murugavel argued that invoking preventive detention in the case was a misuse of power aimed at portraying Gnanasekaran as a habitual sexual offender. He contended that the alleged crime did not amount to a breach of public order, making the preventive detention unjustifiable.
Additional Public Prosecutor R. Muniyapparaj received the notice on behalf of the state and police.
The court has posted the matter for hearing after four weeks.
The incident took place on December 23, 2024, when Gnanasekaran, a street biryani vendor and resident of Kotturpuram, allegedly threatened a female student of Anna University while she was with her friend in an isolated area on campus. He reportedly took photos and videos of the student and later sexually assaulted her. The accused then allegedly threatened to leak the images and videos on social media if the survivor revealed the incident to anyone.
However, the survivor mustered the courage to file a police complaint, leading to Gnanasekaran’s arrest by the Kotturpuram All-Women Police Station (AWPS). Following his arrest, he was admitted to Stanley Government Hospital after sustaining injuries, allegedly while attempting to escape police custody.
The Tamil Nadu government invoked the Goondas Act against Gnanasekaran, citing his involvement in similar offences in the past and branding him a habitual offender.
In response to the case, the Madras High Court formed a special investigation team (SIT) comprising three women officers to conduct a thorough probe. After completing its investigation, the SIT filed a charge sheet against the accused.
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