JNU professor and Inner Manipur MP Bimol Akoijam says he is pursuing legal action after facing sexual harassment allegations from 11 students, calling media coverage a "media trial."
Imphal, Sept. 14: Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, the Congress Lok Sabha MP representing Inner Manipur and a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said on Sunday he was taking legal action in response to sexual harassment allegations against him, calling the coverage of the case a "media trial" based on "unverified allegations."
Bimol, addressing reporters, said he would file a case and "see how these people respond," and argued that discussing unverified allegations at length on television amounted to conduct that is "illegal and unethical." He said the matter should now be left to the courts to decide.
The professor also alleged that the intensity of media coverage was connected to his identity as a Manipuri academic, saying he did not believe similar sustained coverage would have followed had the allegations been made against a professor from another part of the country. He said he had "nothing to hide" and invited scrutiny, while maintaining that the allegations remained unverified.
On Monday, Bimol posted on Facebook that he had "took the first legal step today," adding "More shall follow" and addressing what he termed "racists and local collaborators".
According to some national media reports, 11 female students filed complaints against Bimol Akoijam with the JNU Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). The complaints reportedly include allegations of inappropriate remarks made in class, invitations extended to his private residence or office, and claims that marks were offered in exchange for sexual favours following a viva examination.
The complaints were reportedly first submitted in May 2026. Student organisation, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) led protests outside the School of Social Sciences demanding Bimol Akoijam's dismissal, and have criticised JNU for not completing its investigation within the 90-day period prescribed under UGC regulations.
As of mid-September 2026, the allegations remain legally unproven. No FIR has been registered, and no final ICC determination has been made public.
Neither JNU nor the ICC has issued a public statement on the status or findings of the internal inquiry, based on available information. The complainants have not been named or quoted in the material reviewed for this report.
