Anna University Student Rape Case Convict's Mother Moves State Human Rights Commission Over 'Murderous Assault' On Son
Gangadevi, the convict Gnanasekaran's mother accused the Prison Warden and guards of carrying out a "brutal and murderous assault" on her son.
Published : April 25, 2026 at 4:26 PM IST
Chennai: Gangadevi, the mother of Anna University student sexual assault convict Gnanasekaran has approached the Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission seeking disciplinary action against a prison warden and guards for allegedly carrying out a “murderous assault” on her son.
Gnanasekaran, a biryani vendor is currently serving a prison sentence in connection with the sexual assault case on an Anna University student in December 2024. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Mahila Court in June 2025 after being found guilty of all 11 charges, including rape. According to the court, his term will be for a minimum period of 30 years without remission. Following the verdict, Gnanasekaran was lodged in Puzhal Prison.
During the early hours of April 20, prison guards admitted Gnanasekaran to the Stanley Government Hospital for treatment, claiming that he had suffered seizures. After receiving medical treatment at the hospital, Gnanasekaran was discharged and subsequently returned to Puzhal Prison.
But his mother Gangadevi alleged that her son's health deteriorated—necessitating his hospitalization—solely because the prison warden and guards “subjected him to a brutal, murderous assault”.
Gangadevi filed a formal complaint on Saturday with the State Human Rights Commission, located on Greenways Road in Chennai, demanding that appropriate action be taken against the prison warden and guards for engaging in human rights violations by assaulting her son while he was in custody.
Speaking to the media on the occasion, she said that on the 20th, they received information that, as a result of this illness, he had been admitted to Stanley Government Hospital for treatment. Upon learning this, we went to the hospital to visit him.
“As soon as my son regained consciousness, he recounted that Prison Warden Santhakumar, along with five prison guards, had switched off the lights inside the prison and launched a murderous assault against him, brutally beating him with lathis. My son's life is in danger and requires protection. We have lodged a formal complaint with the Human Rights Commission," said Gangadevi.
The complaint by Gangadevi with the human rights commission stated that the “act of prison officials, who are duty-bound to ensure the safety of inmates serving sentences imposed by the courts, themselves engaging in a murderous assault constitutes a gross violation of human rights”. The complaint also noted that, in protest against this incident, Gnanasekaran has commenced a peaceful hunger strike within the prison.
Following the December 2024 sexual assault case, Gnanasekaran was arrested by the Kotturpuram All-Women Police.
Read More:
