JNU professor, Congress MP Bimol Akoijam gets relief from arrest
What's the story
Congress Member of Parliament (MP) and JNU professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has been given interim protection from arrest till Thursday in a sexual harassment case involving 11 women students. The development comes after the Delhi High Court stayed JNU's decision to terminate him and issued a notice to the university on his petition challenging the dismissal.
Legal proceedings
Delhi Police registered FIR on October 11
The Rouse Avenue Court also issued a notice to Delhi Police on Akoijam's anticipatory bail plea and stayed his arrest for two days.
Akoijam, a faculty member at the Centre for the Study of Social Systems under JNU's School of Social Sciences, was dismissed on October 9 following an inquiry conducted by the university's Internal Committee (IC) into the allegations of sexual harassment.
The Delhi Police had registered an FIR against Akoijam on October 11, two days after his dismissal.
Case details
Complaints filed in May
The termination order, signed by Vice-Chancellor Santishree D Pandit, said, "Upon following the due process and considering all available facts and as per the report of the Internal Committee, the punishment of dismissal from the services of the university is hereby imposed."
Reports say at least 11 women students filed sexual harassment complaints against Akoijam in May.
The complainants claimed he called students to his campus residence under the pretext of meetings or gatherings and attempted to sexually harass them.
MP's defense
JNU harassed me, says Akoijam
Akoijam has denied all the allegations, calling his dismissal a "witch hunt" and accusing the BJP of making up false charges against him to silence his voice ahead of upcoming state assembly elections.
Speaking to India Today TV, he called the internal inquiry a "khap panchayat" and challenged his accusers to prove their charges.
The controversy had also reached Parliament, with BJP women MPs meeting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking action against Akoijam.