Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday asserted in the Assembly that the government's only objective in the student sexual assault case is to get justice for the victim, according to law.

The main Opposition AIADMK staged a walkout when the Chief Minister hit out at them by referring to the sexual assault case during their regime (2016-21).

Stalin, referring to the issue being raised by parties including the main Opposition AIADMK, said the sexual assault perpetrated on a Chennai student was a huge cruelty and unacceptable.

The CM asserted that expeditious investigation will be held and chargesheet will be filed within 60 days. Also, the government will make all efforts to bring the matter to a Special court for trial and get the maximum punishment for the accused. "The DMK's Dravidian model of governance is a regime for the women." While several MLAs had spoken with true concern, a member spoke to create a wrong opinion against the incumbent regime, he said.

Whatever may be their motive, as regards the government, its objective is to get justice for the victim as per law and "the Tamil Nadu government has no other objective, and I would like to make it clear, this is firm and categorical," he asserted.

The government may be blamed, in case, if the accused had not been arrested immediately and if it had been decided to protect the accused.

However, finding fault with the government even after the accused was arrested within a few hours and after evidence had been gathered, it is only for political mileage and not based on true concern, he said.

Immediately after the complaint was received from the victim girl on December 24, 2024, the Kotturpuram All Women Police Station registered a case. Police held an expeditious investigation, acted swiftly and arrested the accused the next day morning.

The accused Gnanasekaran is not a DMK member and he was only a party sympathiser, a supporter. "We do not deny that. He might have taken photographs with ministers and politicians. ..whoever it may be, even if they are DMK persons, we will for sure take action. There is no change in that stand. He is a sympathiser and that is the truth. We did not protect him. He was arrested immediately." "What is the allegation of the opposition party? they are talking about the leak of the FIR. Who is responsible for that? It is the National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the Union government. It was pointed out by our police department and following that, the technical error has been rectified. The NIC has given an explanation and has also written a letter (to the state authorities)," the CM noted. On the claim that there were no CCTV cameras, he said the accused was arrested by identifying him with the help of cameras around the varsity campus.

To the "Who is that sir? question, the CM said this question was being raised based on the leaked FIR. The Special Investigation Team is probing the case as per the Madras High Court order and the Goondas Act has also been invoked against the accused. During the probe, if the involvement of some others emerge; "whoever it may be, stern action will be taken." It may be noted that the "Who is that Sir? became a part of the AIADMK's 'Save our daughters ,' campaign after the accused Gnanasekaran reportedly addressed someone as 'sir' over phone, while he was at the scene of crime.

The CM said if the opposition parties had proof for their "Who is that sir? accusation they should give it to the SIT and rather than doing that, they must not indulge in 'cheap activity' of raising that question for the sake of short-term political mileage and worthless publicity.

In this context, when the Chief Minister referred to the 2019 Pollachi sexual assault case during the AIADMK regime and said that the CBI probe brought out that the accused were the AIADMK men, it was strongly opposed by the main opposition AIADMK and they staged a walkout.

"This was the status of the law and order during the regime led by the then Chief Minister 'Sir,' (Edappadi K Palaniswami)," the CM alleged.

Stalin said he could pose the AIADMK '100 sir questions.' He said: "A former Chief Minister and present day Leader of the Opposition (Palaniswami), wearing a badge (on Jan 6, 2024; the badge had the words "Who is that sir? embossed on it) by forgetting his responsibility and status, illustrated the extent to which he was ready to stoop politically." Further, the CM said that based on the single incident of student assault, many were trying to falsely project as if women were unsafe and people will not believe this. Elaborating on government's commitment to women's safety and security, he said in crimes against women, in over 86 per cent of such cases, chargesheets had been filed within 60 days.

In the Chennai-Anna Nagar 10-year old girl sexual assault case, the CM said an AIADMK functionary and a woman police inspector had been arrested on January 7, 2024.

In the case of Sathya, a girl, who was pushed in front of an approaching train by the accused, the government secured conviction for him and got the maximum punishment of death.

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