New Delhi:
Congress MP and sacked Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has been summoned by Delhi Police for questioning in the sexual harassment case on Thursday.
"You are directed to cooperate with the investigation. Failure to comply without lawful justification will entail legal consequences as prescribed under the BNSS, 2023," said a notice served to him by Vasant Kunj Police Station, which has been accessed by NDTV.
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The police had registered an FIR against Akoijam on Sunday on a complaint filed by the JNU's Chief Security Officer. Sexual harassment and other relevant charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) have been invoked in the case.
This followed complaints by at least 11 women students in May. They alleged that Akoijam invited them to his on-campus residence on the pretext of meetings and attempted to sexually harass them. Some students also accused him of making obscene and inappropriate remarks inside the classroom.
The university had examined the allegations during an internal inquiry and later dismissed the professor.
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Akoijam, however, rejected the allegations and called himself a "soft target" of an alleged witch hunt.
The case also triggered a political row, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) targeting the Congress and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over their silence on the matter. Earlier this week, a delegation of BJP women MPs met President Droupadi Murmu and sought action against Akoijam, demanding his resignation as a parliamentarian.