A Delhi court on November 3 granted interim protection from arrest to Congress MP and former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam in a sexual harassment case involving allegations made by several female students. Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh of the Rouse Avenue court directed the Delhi Police not to take coercive action against him until November 5, when his anticipatory bail plea will be considered further.
The court also sought a response from the police and directed the investigating officer to appear with the case file at the next hearing. The development comes a day after the Delhi High Court stayed JNU’s decision to terminate Akoijam’s services. The Inner Manipur Lok Sabha MP has denied the allegations and questioned the procedures followed by the university, while the case remains under investigation.
Court Grants Protection
The latest relief came as Akoijam approached the Delhi court seeking anticipatory bail, which allows a person to request protection from arrest in anticipation of being arrested in a criminal case. During the November 3 hearing, the court sought the Delhi Police’s response to his application and directed the investigating officer to appear with the relevant case records on November 5.
The court’s interim order means that no coercive action can be taken against Akoijam until the next hearing; it does not amount to a final decision on his anticipatory bail plea or establish his innocence or guilt. The court will consider the matter further after hearing the relevant submissions. Separately, on November 2, the Delhi High Court stayed JNU’s October 9 order terminating his services as a professor.
Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani issued notice to the university, seeking its response to Akoijam’s challenge to the termination. Akoijam had argued that he was not given notice before the university decided to dismiss him. The High Court’s interim order temporarily halts the termination, with the matter scheduled to be heard again in January 2027. These developments concern two separate proceedings: the criminal investigation and anticipatory bail application before the lower court, and the challenge to his employment termination before the High Court.
Allegations And Inquiry
The case stems from sexual harassment complaints reportedly submitted by at least 11 female students against Akoijam, who was associated with JNU’s Centre for the Study of Social Systems under the School of Social Sciences. The complaints, filed with the university’s Internal Committee in May, alleged inappropriate conduct, including claims that he invited students to his campus residence under the pretext of meetings or gatherings and attempted to sexually harass them. Some complainants also alleged that he made inappropriate and sexually suggestive remarks during classes and academic interactions.
These remain allegations and must be distinguished from findings that may be established through the legal process. Following an internal inquiry, JNU terminated Akoijam’s services with immediate effect on October 9. The university’s action was based on the Internal Committee’s assessment of the complaints and the material examined during the inquiry.
According to the complaint subsequently submitted to the police, the committee considered the accounts of complainants, witness statements, defence witnesses and other material before recording its assessment. The committee’s observations, as cited in the police complaint, referred to what it described as a recurring pattern of inappropriate personal interaction, sexually suggestive conduct and unwelcome physical contact. An FIR was registered at Delhi’s Vasant Kunj North police station in October, following a complaint by JNU’s Chief Security Officer and the submission of documents relating to the university inquiry.
The case includes allegations of sexual harassment, sexually coloured remarks and words, gestures or acts intended to insult a woman’s modesty. Akoijam has denied the allegations and described his dismissal as a witch hunt, while questioning whether due process was followed. The police investigation and judicial proceedings will determine the legal course of the case.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The allegations against Akoijam raise important questions about safety, accountability and the responsibility of educational institutions to provide students with an environment free from harassment. Universities must take complaints seriously, ensure that students can report misconduct without fear, and conduct impartial investigations that protect complainants from intimidation or retaliation.
At the same time, disciplinary action and criminal proceedings must follow established procedures, with the rights of all parties respected. Interim protection from arrest is a judicial measure, not a declaration that the allegations are false; equally, allegations alone should not be treated as proof of guilt.
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