NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Tuesday granted protection from arrest to Congress MP and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, accused in a sexual harassment case.
Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh passed the order while issuing notice to the city police on a plea filed by Akoijam, seeking anticipatory bail in a sexual harassment case. The judge said no coercive action will be taken against Akoijam till the next date of hearing, i.e., on November 5.
The judge directed police to file its response to Inner Manipur MP’s petition by November 5, while directing the investigating officer (IO) to appear before the court with the case file.
The judge was hearing Akoijam’s plea seeking pre-arrest bail, claiming that he was anticipating arrest by Delhi Police.
The Delhi Police registered an FIR against Akoijam on charges of sexual harassment and insulting a woman's modesty after his dismissal from the institute.
According to reports, at least 11 female students filed sexual harassment complaints against the professor in May, alleging that Akoijam invited students to his campus residence under the pretext of meetings or gatherings and attempted to sexually harass them. Some of the students have also alleged that he made “obscene” and “inappropriate” remarks during classes.
The Delhi Police lodged the FIR on October 12 on a complaint lodged by the university's chief security officer on October 11 on the allegations of sexual harassment and acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman, among other offences. An investigation has been taken up, police said.
The FIR claimed that the assessment and observations recorded by the members of the university's Internal Committee (IC) were forwarded to police following an internal investigation.
"The allegations against Professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, Centre for Studies of Social Systems, School of Social Sciences, JNU, have been examined by the Internal Committee, and after assessment of witnesses, defence witnesses, and other material came on record," the FIR stated.
The trial court direction came a day after the Delhi High Court stayed an order passed by the JNU terminating the services of Prof Akoijam over allegations of sexual harassment.
In October, JNU dismissed him over allegations of sexual harassment. The professor, however, has termed his dismissal a "witch hunt" and has raised questions regarding due process.