JNU professor Atul Johri was granted bail by Delhi’s Patiala House court on Tuesday evening after his arrest by Delhi Police. He is accused of sexually harassing female students of the University.
His lawyer RK Wadhva has called the allegations “a political conspiracy” and claimed that the professor was being “made a scapegoat”.
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Speaking to mediapersons, Johri’s lawyer said that the professor had reprimanded the students for their attendance and blamed the students for “conspiring to complain” against him.
Professor Johri of School of Life Science has been accused of sexual misbehaviour by several JNU students.
Following his arrest, JNU students, who have been on a protest outside Vasant Kunj police station since Monday, hailed it as an example that one cannot go easy with sexual harassment within the campus irrespective of the position an individual holds.
“Salute to the JNU students who have been protesting all day long, it is a step towards women empowerment. This is just the beginning of our movement,” one of the complainant added.
On 15 March, seven students from JNU lodged a complaint of sexual misbehaviour at Vasant Kunj police station against the professor but police had registered the complaints with only one name.
Following the protests, police on Tuesday registered eight FIRs against Johri on the separate complaints of nine students who alleged that he sexually harassed them in School of Life Sciences lab.
The women reportedly complained that the professor would make explicit remarks on their clothes and touch them inappropriately while delivering lessons.
Protests had erupted three days ago before the students decided to march to the police station.
