Sacked professor Bimol Akoijam asked to join probe in JNU sexual harassment case

Delhi Police have issued a notice to Congress MP and dismissed Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, directing him to join the investigation into a sexual harassment case registered against him.

Akoijam has been asked to appear at the police station, participate in the investigation and present his side of the case under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, Delhi Police said.

The development comes days after JNU dismissed Akoijam from his position as a professor at the School of Social Sciences following an internal enquiry into multiple sexual harassment complaints against him. The Congress MP, who represents Inner Manipur in the Lok Sabha, has denied the allegations and accused the university's internal enquiry committee of conducting an unfair investigation.

An FIR was registered against Akoijam on October 12, following a complaint lodged by JNU's chief security officer, invoking BNS sections corresponding to sexual harassment and acts intended to insult a woman's modesty, among other offences.

At least 11 female students had reportedly filed complaints against Akoijam in May 2026. He was dismissed from the university with immediate effect on October 9 following an internal enquiry into the allegations of sexual harassment.

The complaints alleged that he invited students to his campus residence under the pretext of meetings or gatherings and attempted to sexually harass them. Some students also alleged that he made obscene and inappropriate remarks in class.

The university's enquiry reportedly found him guilty of the allegations, following which it took disciplinary action against him.

Akoijam, however, has rejected the charges and questioned the fairness of the proceedings conducted by the university's Internal Complaints Committee (ICC).

Reacting to his dismissal, Akoijam described the university's action as a "witch hunt" and alleged that he had not been given an adequate opportunity to respond to the committee's findings.

In an interview with India Today TV, the Congress MP termed the internal enquiry a "khap panchayat", alleging that the proceedings had not followed a fair process. He also accused the media of circulating what he described as false and misleading claims about the allegations.

Akoijam claimed that there were 15 complaints, including three from male students, and alleged that all of them were fabricated. He questioned discrepancies in the number of complainants cited in public reports and challenged the allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

The MP also disputed allegations that he had sought sexual favours in exchange for marks, saying that such accusations should be examined against the records of the internal proceedings.

He described the controversy as an "obscene spectacle" and maintained that the proceedings against him had been compromised. He also questioned whether the university's committee had reached a conclusion against him in advance.

The case has now moved to the police investigation stage, with the Delhi Police notice directing Akoijam to appear before investigating officers, join the probe and present his side of the case.