JNU prof released after paying ₹30K bail in each of eight cases 17 varsity students booked for protest at dean’s office
NEWDELHI: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor Atul Johri was arrested on Tuesday on charges of sexual harassment levelled against him by eight female students. A Delhi court later granted him bail after an hour-long hearing and asked him to furnish ₹30,000 as bail bond in each case.
A day after hundreds of JNU students marched to Vasant Kunj police station and scuffled with the cops, demanding action against Johri, the police interrogated the professor for an hour and arrested him around 5 pm. He was questioned for almost an hour at RK Puram police station in south Delhi in eight cases registered between Friday and Monday, said police.
Around 6pm, Johri was produced before a metropolitan magistrate in the Patiala House court amid tight security arrangements. Johri’s counsel argued that the allegations of sexual harassment made by the complainant pertain to 2013-14 while the FIR has been registered in 2018, after a delay of almost four years.
“We arrested him after he appeared before the investigating team. He was produced before the concerned court that granted him bail. We had opposed the bail application mentioning t he apprehension of the complainants regarding intimidation from the accused, being in position of authority at JNU,” said Dependra Pathak, special commissioner and chief spokesperson of Delhi Police.
Johri’s lawyers told the court that he had sent an email to certain students on February 27 this year, warning them against their irregular attendance. The email also stated that as per the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, they will not be able to complete their Phds if they failed attendance rules.
The counsel argued that the students filed “false FIRS” against Johri to stop him from taking action against them.
Seven JNU students had filed complaints on Thursday and accused Johri of allegedly sexually harassing them. Only one FIR was registered at the Vasant Kunj North police station on Friday, even as two more complaints were received the same day.
Geeta Kumari, the president of JNU students union, said it was “disheartening and saddening” that the professor was given bail.“we are thinking about the way forward. We can’t pressure the courts... But we don’t understand why eight FIRS were not enough to keep a sexual predator in jail,” she said.
Students and activists have been protesting demanding FIRS on the other eight complaints and the arrest of Johri. On Monday evening, police turned seven more complaints into FIRS while one complainant decided to become a witness against Johri.
“The ninth complainant has not withdrawn her complaint but has agreed to become a witness. If required, we will turn her complaint into an FIR as well,” Milind Dumbere, deputy commissioner of police (southwest), said. He also said, “We did not seek Johri’s police remand as no recovery has to been made in the cases.”
On Tuesday morning, students of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, for whom the professor had allegedly campaigned, also staged a protest on campus. Later in the afternoon, a group of around 50-odd activists from women’s organisations such as the All India Democratic Women’s Association, All India Progressive Women’s Association, All India Mahila Sanskritik Sanghatan and others, had demonstrated outside the Vasant Kunj Police station. They submitted a memorandum at the station, asking that the teacher be arrested immediately, and the university be directed that interference will not be tolerated. NEW DELHI: Seventeen JNU students were booked on Friday for a protest at the dean of students office against the hike in hostel mess fee and other charges.
The JNUSU on Tuesday said the FIR under sections for “voluntarily causing hurt,” “wrongful restraint,” and “intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace,” is an attempt to target them for protesting against professor Atul Johri who was arrested over charges of sexual harassment.
On March 12, the JNUSU had called for a ‘Dera Dalo protest’ at the dean of students’ office after a February 27 circular, hiked the hostel mess fee, including refundable mess security, annual utensils charges and establishment charges by up to 400%.
During the protests, a scuffle had broken out between the security personnel and agitating students. The students had alleged that the JNUSU vice-president along with certain hostel presidents were confined in the office.
“JNUSU condemns this false and fabricated police case on JNU Students and JNUSU office bearers as it’s a clear case of witch hunting and victimising students,” they said. Kadam was unavailable to comment.