NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has said the JNU administration could not have imposed a “drastic” and “major” penalty of dismissal from service on professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam over allegations of sexual harassment without a show-cause notice and a hearing.
The court’s observation came in the order staying Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration’s decision to terminate the services of the professor at the School of Social Sciences.
Even as the JNU counsel argued that Akoijam’s dismissal was not governed by the procedure laid down in the JNU Act, but by UGC regulations on the prevention and redressal of sexual harassment in higher educational institutions, the court granted interim relief to the professor, also a Congress MP from Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat.
“This court is of the prima facie view that regardless of what other ancillary regulations may provide, it is difficult to accept, at least at this stage, that the drastic and severe ‘major’ penalty of dismissal from service could have been imposed upon the petitioner without issuing to him a show cause notice and without granting to him a personal hearing in relation to the penalty proposed to be imposed,” said Justice Anup J Bhambhani.
The court gave the interim relief to Akoijam on November 2. The order was subsequently uploaded on the court’s website. “The effect and operation of order dated 09.10.2026 and all actions taken by respondent No. 1 university pursuant to that order, shall remain stayed till the next date of hearing before this court,” the court ordered, while listing the matter on January 25.
At least 11 female students filed sexual harassment complaints against him in May.