Congress MP Bimol Akoijam appeared before Delhi Police on October 15 in the JNU sexual harassment case, reiterating his confidence that justice would be done.
New Delhi, Oct. 15: Congress Lok Sabha MP from Inner Manipur Angomcha Bimol Akoijam appeared before Delhi Police at Vasant Kunj North Police Station on Thursday in connection with a sexual harassment case involving allegations made by students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). The appearance came a day after police issued him a notice to join the investigation.
Bimol Akoijam appeared before investigators on Thursday. The police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against him on October 11 following a complaint by JNU's chief security officer.
Upon arriving in Delhi, Bimol Akoijam told media, "I have lived and worked here, yet somehow, I don’t quite feel a sense of belonging. I have come here because the Delhi Police summoned me to join the investigation, and I am here to cooperate. My schedule is quite packed, but had I not shown up, people might have started claiming that the professor was being uncooperative, which is something I wish to avoid. Let the law take its own course...It has been political from the very beginning. This is the land of Gandhi ji, after all. Satyameva Jayate; everything will come to light."
Bimol Akoijam had left Imphal for Delhi earlier on Thursday after receiving the summons. Before his departure, he told reporters, “I am going there because there is a police summon. Don’t worry, justice will be done.” He also said he would fight against what he described as injustice towards him and the suffering endured by the people of Manipur over the decades.
The police action followed JNU's decision to dismiss Bimol Akoijam from his position as a professor on October 9, after an internal inquiry into complaints of sexual harassment. He has denied the allegations and questioned the university's inquiry process.
At least 11 female students reportedly filed complaints against him in May. The allegations included claims of sexual misconduct at his campus residence and inappropriate remarks in class. These allegations are the subject of the ongoing investigation.
The FIR was registered at Vasant Kunj North Police Station under Sections 75, 75(1)(i), 75(1)(iv) and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to sexual harassment and acts intended to insult a woman's modesty, among other provisions.
