Crime News / FIR Registered Against Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam Over Sexual Harassment Allegations at JNU

New Delhi, Oct 12: Delhi Police have registered an FIR against Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam over allegations of sexual harassment involving students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), officials said.

The FIR was registered at Vasant Kunj North police station on Sunday, October 11, following a complaint by the university’s chief security officer. It invokes Sections 75, 75(1)(i), 75(1)(iv) and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), according to officials.

Akoijam, a Congress MP and former JNU professor, has been named in the FIR. Police said the matter is under investigation.

11 Students Reportedly Filed Complaints
According to media reports, at least 11 female students lodged sexual harassment complaints against Akoijam in May 2024.

The complaints allegedly accused him of inviting students to his campus residence under the pretext of meetings or gatherings and attempting to sexually harass them. Some students also reportedly alleged that he made obscene and inappropriate remarks in the classroom.

The complaints were reportedly examined during an inquiry that preceded the university’s decision to dismiss him from his teaching position.

The allegations are subject to the ongoing police investigation and should not be treated as proof of criminal guilt.

BJP Targets Rahul Gandhi, Congress Leadership
Earlier on Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised the Congress leadership over its response to the allegations against Akoijam, specifically questioning Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Addressing a press conference, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj referred to the reported complaints and the university’s action against Akoijam, questioning the Congress leadership’s stance on women’s safety and accountability.

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“Is ‘Smash the Patriarchy’ only a political rhetoric for you? It seems that this incident is reflecting the hypocrisy of Congress. For them, feminism starts with a hashtag and ends when it comes to accountability,” Swaraj said.

She also questioned why Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi had not publicly commented on the matter.

“Is women's respect just restricted to being a slogan and not a policy of the Congress party?” she asked.

BJP Cites University Action
Swaraj said JNU had constituted an Internal Committee under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, commonly known as the POSH Act, to examine the complaints.

She criticised the Congress leadership over what she described as its silence on the allegations. Her remarks were political criticism and do not establish the truth of the allegations against Akoijam.

Delhi Police are continuing their investigation following the registration of the FIR.