The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) of JNU to probe alleged misconduct by a JNU professor Atul Johri, who is accused of sexually harassing women students, to decide whether to suspend him.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher directed professor Atul Johri not to take charge as warden of any hostel on the university campus which houses women and not contact the petitioner women students and potential witnesses.

“In case of interaction, the vice chancellor will consider removal of the professor,” the court directed.

The court was hearing a petition filed by several women students seeking suspension of the professor, against whom eight FIRs have been lodged alleging sexual harassment, and restraining him from entering the campus.

The plea also sought the provision of a safe working environment for the students.

The court, which passed a slew of directions, said that separate supervisors be given to four of the petitioner women, who are pursuing PhD.

It said the professor should not visit laboratory no. 409 of the Department of Life Sciences where the students work and the keys be given to them. In case Johri has some work, he may be given a separate laboratory.

The court had earlier rebuked the JNU for not taking constructive steps to provide safe working environment for women who have levelled sexual harassment charges against the professor.

The observation by the court had come after it perused a report of the fact-finding committee (FFC), set up by JNU to probe the alleged misconduct by the professor, which contained no findings.

JNU, in its defence, had said the FFC cannot go into the issues of alleged misconduct by the professor or the sexual harassment complaints as these aspects will be examined by the ICC according to the central civil services rules.

Johri had claimed that some of the complainant students were asked to work harder and, in retaliation, they had levelled the allegations against him.

On April 25, the court had directed the JNU to treat the representations of women students as complaints and initiate a probe against the professor on charges of sexual harassment sought responses on why the administration has not taken action against professor.

Johri was arrested in March and granted bail by the Patiala court, but the authorities had not taken any action against him, the complainants stated.

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 registered eight FIRs against professor Atul Johri on the separate complaints of nine students who alleged that he sexually harassment 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.