Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: The Delhi High Court granted interim relief to Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam on Monday. Justice Anup J Bhambhani issued a notice to Jawaharlal Nehru University and stayed the institution's decision to terminate the professor. The court also halted any further proceedings stemming from the dismissal. The next hearing is scheduled for January.
JNU fired the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha lawmaker on October 9. The administration stripped him of his position at the School of Social Sciences. The university also ordered his eviction from campus housing. Vice-Chancellor Santishree D Pandit signed the termination order after an inquiry by the Internal Complaints Committee. The probe began following reports filed by 11 female students in May.
Students claimed the professor invited them to his home under the guise of meetings to harass them. Others cited obscene remarks during classroom sessions. The dismissal notice claimed the university followed due process. The order stated, "Upon following due process and considering all available facts and as per the report of the Internal Committee, the punishment of dismissal from the services of the university is hereby imposed."
Akoijam fights back. He argues the university failed to follow mandatory notice requirements under the JNU Act and University Grants Commission regulations. He claims the school denied him a fair chance to present his defense. The professor previously slammed the internal investigation, calling it a "khap panchayat" and claiming it lacked fairness. He denied all allegations and questioned the inquiry's integrity.
The case sparked a political firestorm in Manipur. The BJP wants him out of office. The party’s youth and women's wings held marches in Imphal and Delhi. Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh demanded his resignation. On October 13, a delegation of BJP women MPs, including Manipur party president and Rajya Sabha member A Sharda Devi, met President Droupadi Murmu. They sought his suspension from the Lok Sabha and pushed for protection for the complainants. Congress leaders maintain the BJP is using the allegations to target their lawmaker. Both sides remain locked in a tense public standoff.
Comments