Guwahati: A Delhi court has granted interim protection from arrest to Congress MP and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam in a sexual harassment case, directing the police to give him seven days’ notice before making any arrest.
Special Judge Digvinay Singh of the Rouse Avenue Courts passed the order on Thursday. The protection will remain in force during the investigation, subject to the police giving Akoijam seven days’ notice if they intend to arrest him in connection with the case.
Several students have accused the Congress MP of sexual harassment. Based on their complaints, the Delhi Police registered an FIR against him under Section 75 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with sexual harassment.
While hearing Akoijam’s plea, the court took into account his cooperation with the investigation, his lack of prior criminal record, and his appearance before the investigating agency.
The court also observed that the investigation was still underway and that the police had not yet recorded the complainants’ statements. It was informed that the statements could not be recorded because JNU had not provided the complainants’ names and other details.
Akoijam’s lawyer told the court that the MP had appeared before the investigating agency and was cooperating with the probe.
The public prosecutor said the police had written to JNU seeking information about the complainants and planned to contact the students to record their statements after receiving the details from the university.
The judge said the police could approach the court for further directions if Akoijam failed to cooperate with the investigation.
The order comes amid a separate legal dispute over JNU’s decision to terminate Akoijam’s services following the allegations.
The university dismissed him with immediate effect on October 9 after conducting an inquiry into the complaints. Akoijam challenged the decision before the Delhi High Court, which stayed the termination order on November 2 while hearing his petition.
Akoijam has denied the allegations, describing them as politically motivated.
He was associated with JNU’s Centre for the Study of Social Systems under the School of Social Sciences.