SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

Complainants counter JNU professor Johri's claims in bail plea

Complainants counter JNU professor Johri's claims in bail plea Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University protest against professor Atul Johri who is accused of sexually harassing female students | PTI

Shocked over Jawaharlal Nehru University professor Atul Johri getting bail, five women students, who have filed sexual harassment complaints against him, countered his claims in the bail plea and said it was due to “institutional hierarchy” that one of them was forced to attend birthday and festival celebrations with him.

They also claimed that six of the eight complainants belonged to the ABVP, the BJP's student wing, and said the “Left conspiracy” smelt by the professor was just an attempt to give a political undertone to the matter.

In his bail plea yesterday, Johri had said that in compliance with certain UGC guidelines as regards compulsory attendance and leave pattern, he had sent an e-mail on February 27 to certain students, including one of the complainants, warning them against their irregular attendance.

“Before receiving the e-mail, the complainant had a cordial relation with me and my wife and she even celebrated birthdays and festivals with us,” the professor had said in his bail plea.

The five complainants told a press conference, “We are shocked at the accused getting bail. It was due to institutional hierarchy that one of the students was forced to attend birthday and festival celebrations with the professor.”

Requesting to avoid giving a political undertone to the issue, they said, “The excuse of attendance is being made to give this entire issue a political colour. There is no relation between attendance and sexual harassment.”

Stating that Johri was a vocal supporter of the BJP-RSS and that he had claimed that the complainants were Left supporters, the students said, “The truth is that many of us are registered members and supporters of ABVP. We want this to remain a serious case of sexual harassment and not a political one.”

They also said they dared to come out and put their academic, personal and professional lives at stake as others would continue to suffer if they did not speak up.

Meanwhile, JNU administration has appealed to students and professors to restore normalcy in the campus and allow the institution to function without interruptions.

JNU Registrar Pramod Kumar said in a statement that the interests of student and teacher community have been damaged beyond repair and appealed the community to restore normalcy in the campus.

“The JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) and Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) have combined their efforts by calling for total university strike that does not serve the interests of the JNU community and they are to be blamed for the prevailing chaos in the campus,” the statement added.