CHENNAI: Opposition parties, including AIADMK, BJP and PMK, on Wednesday welcomed the verdict of the mahila court (in Chennai) that convicted the lone accused in the rape of an AU student in December last.
However, they reiterated their earlier allegations that the accused had ties with senior DMK functionaries and their alleged link to the case has not been investigated.
In a press statement, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said the case was investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) only after an order of the Madras High Court.
He accused the DMK government of “shielding its supporters” involved in the case. He reiterated the need for holding everyone accountable and bringing them to justice.
BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran in a statement described the accused as a “DMK functionary”.
CM M K Stalin had clarified that the accused was not a member or a functionary of the DMK, but was a sympathiser.
On the verdict, Nagenthran said it reaffirmed the principle that “no amount of political clout or financial muscle can place perpetrators of violence against women above the law”.
Such a decisive ruling would restore confidence among survivors and encourage them to come forward without fear, he added.
PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss said just because Gnanasekaran has been convicted does not mean justice has been fully served. It is equally important to identify and punish those who supported and aided him in perpetrating sexual violence against multiple women. They must also face stringent legal consequences, he said in a press statement.
TVK president Vijay thanked the Madras HC for its direct monitoring of the investigation which led to a swift trial and verdict in five months. The leader, in a statement, stressed that the credit for faster delivery of justice goes solely to the judiciary, not the state government. “Strict legal action must also be taken against all others involved in the case,” the leader demanded.