Sexual Harassment Allegations Rock JNU, Cong MP Bimol Akoijam Under Scanner; All Eyes On ICC Meet

A growing controversy is unfolding at Jawaharlal Nehru University, where eleven students have lodged a formal complaint with the Internal Complaints Committee against professor and sitting Congress MP Bimol Akoijam, alleging sexual harassment. The students claim the professor made inappropriate, sexually suggestive remarks during viva examinations held in the first week of May this year, and allege he offered higher marks in exchange for sexual favours. The complaint was filed shortly after, triggering ICC proceedings and a round of statement recordings before the university shut down for its customary semester break period.

The controversy resurfaced when classes resumed in mid-July, after one student described her ordeal in a students-only WhatsApp group, prompting several others to step forward with similar accounts. JNU Vice Chancellor Professor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit has publicly acknowledged that multiple students have approached the committee and confirmed an active investigation, while pointing out the ICC operates as a part-time body navigating a legally sensitive and procedurally complex process.

Akoijam, the sitting MP from Inner Manipur, has firmly rejected the allegations, branding the coverage a "media trial" and insisting the ICC has not established any wrongdoing against him. As the committee convenes today for a crucial meeting, attention has turned to whether the MP will personally appear to respond to the charges directly.