The JNU Students Union (JNUSU) has approached the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) seeking its intervention in the case of alleged sexual harassment of a group of women students by a University’s professor.
Atul Johri, professor at School of Life Sciences (SLS) department has resigned from two administrative posts in JNU — the director of the Human Resources Development Centre (HRDC) and the director of the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) — on “moral grounds”, but claimed that the allegation against him was a “motivated move” by students with vested interests.
Earlier, an FIR was registered under IPC sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) against Professor Johri at the Vasant Kunj police station in southwest Delhi.
However, JNUSU president Geeta Kumari has said, “It is more than 36 hours since the FIR was filed, but still no action has been taken against him. He continues to enjoy his privileges in the JNU campus. The JNU administration has not even suspended him from his academic duties.”
Hitting out at the university administration, the students body alleged, “By promising to take up investigation through Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), the JNU administration has clearly shown its intention to provide safe passage to the professor.”
The students also accused the Delhi Police of delaying action in the case.
Meanwhile, the All India Democratic Women’s Association, wrote to the vice chancellor of the university demanding immediate suspension of the professor and, a free and fair inquiry.
Earlier at a press meet held on the university campus, the women students of School of Life Sciences (SLS) department had issued a statement saying, “The professor often makes sexually-coloured remarks, open demands for sex and comments on the figure of almost every girl. If a girl objects, he holds a grudge against her.”
Another statement issued by the students had said, “There is a financial nexus between the professor and the administration. No instrument has been purchased for years, but still crores of rupees have been spent.”
Atul Johri, a vocal supporter of the university administration’s compulsory attendance initiative, claimed that he was being targeted for his stand on the issue.
An integrated M Phil and PhD course student from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) who had been reported missing for the last four days, and who later traced her relative’s house, had also sent an e-mail to the professor, saying, “I am leaving your so-called prestigious lab, just because you are a characterless person and have no manners when it comes to talking to girls.”
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Johri while denying the allegations has said, “Some girls, who have levelled the allegations against me, had received a mail from me on February 27 regarding their irregular attendance in the lab. So, they are targeting me.”
Johri said he was being targetted for asking the girls to abide by the attendance requirement, adding that no complaint was filed against him with the University’s Internal Complaints Committee either.
(With agency inputs)