Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has dismissed Professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, a Congress Lok Sabha MP representing Manipur’s Inner Manipur constituency, following an internal inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment by female students.
The university issued the dismissal order on Friday, October 9, imposing the punishment with immediate effect after its Internal Committee (IC) recommended major disciplinary action. The decision followed complaints from 11 students who accused the professor of sexual misconduct.
The order, signed by JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree D Pandit, said the action had been taken in accordance with the service rules prescribed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules.
“An inquiry was conducted by the internal committee (IC) against a professor, pursuant to allegations of sexual harassment. Based on the findings, the IC recommended major punishment,” the order stated.
“Upon following the due process and considering all available facts, the punishment of dismissal from the services of the university is hereby imposed on the professor with immediate effect,” it added.
Akoijam, who taught at JNU’s Centre for the Study of Social Systems under the School of Social Sciences, had not responded to a request for comment on the dismissal at the time of reporting.
Eleven students filed complaints against the professor
The allegations emerged in May, when 11 students approached the university’s Internal Committee with complaints of sexual harassment. JNU constituted an internal complaints committee that month to investigate the allegations.
According to the complaints, the alleged misconduct took place during viva examinations in the first week of May. Akoijam was accused of making inappropriate remarks with sexual connotations while examining students.
The allegations gained wider attention after one student shared her experience in a student WhatsApp group. Several others subsequently came forward with similar accounts, leading to a formal complaint being submitted to the university.
A person familiar with the matter had alleged that the professor made remarks suggesting he would award students extra marks if they accepted his sexual advances.
The committee subsequently examined the complaints and called several students to record their statements as part of its inquiry. Its findings led to the recommendation that major disciplinary punishment be imposed on the professor.
Students' allegations prompted wider scrutiny
The complaints also drew attention beyond the university after students raised concerns about the handling of the case. In September, the Delhi Commission for Women took suo motu cognisance of the allegations and issued a notice to the JNU vice-chancellor, seeking a report on the action taken within three days.
The intervention followed the circulation of a video in which students alleged that they had complained to the university administration in May but were concerned about the response to their grievances. The commission sought details of the steps taken by the university to address the allegations.
Other media reports said some students had also alleged inappropriate conduct during classes and sexual advances at gatherings at the professor’s campus residence. These claims formed part of the broader allegations reported in connection with the inquiry.
University orders dismissal after internal inquiry
JNU’s dismissal order marks a significant development in the university’s disciplinary proceedings. The committee’s recommendation for major punishment was followed by the administration’s decision to terminate Akoijam’s services with immediate effect.
The university cited the applicable service rules and said due process had been followed before the penalty was imposed.
Akoijam entered Parliament after winning the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha constituency for the Congress in the 2024 general election. His dismissal from his academic post follows the university’s inquiry into the allegations made by the students.
The case has brought renewed attention to the procedures universities follow when investigating sexual harassment complaints, the protection available to students who report misconduct and the responsibility of institutions to respond to such allegations.
The university’s action follows the committee’s findings and recommendation. Akoijam had not publicly responded to the dismissal order at the time of reporting.