Akoijam challenged his termination, alleging that the university dismissed him without prior notice. The court has sought JNU’s response.
BY PC Bureau
The Delhi High Court has put on hold Jawaharlal Nehru University’s decision to dismiss Congress MP and former professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam over sexual harassment allegations by female students. The interim relief follows his challenge to the termination, in which he questioned the university’s failure to issue prior notice. The allegations remain under investigation.
New Delhi, November 2, 2026: Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has secured interim relief from the Delhi High Court in his legal battle against Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), which dismissed him from service last month following sexual harassment complaints by female students.
Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani on Monday stayed the university’s October 9 termination order after Akoijam’s counsel argued that JNU had dismissed him without issuing prior notice.
The court issued notice to the university on Akoijam’s petition challenging his dismissal and the related eviction from his campus residence. The matter has been listed for further hearing in January 2027.
The interim order does not amount to a finding on the sexual harassment allegations or the merits of the university’s inquiry. It provides temporary relief while the court examines the procedural challenge.
Akoijam, a Congress Lok Sabha member from Inner Manipur, has denied the allegations and described the proceedings as a politically motivated witch hunt.
The allegations against Akoijam
At least 11 female students from JNU’s Centre for the Study of Social Systems lodged sexual harassment complaints against Akoijam with the university’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in May 2026.
The allegations reportedly included sexually suggestive remarks during classes and viva examinations, inappropriate personal questions about students’ relationships, unwelcome physical contact and invitations to his campus residence under academic pretexts followed by alleged advances.
Some students also alleged that he offered higher marks in exchange for sexual favours.
The complaints reportedly emerged after a student shared an account of an interaction during a viva examination in a WhatsApp group. Other students subsequently came forward.
The alleged incidents were said to have occurred between July 2025 and May 2026.
ICC inquiry and dismissal
The ICC conducted an inquiry and submitted its report on October 9, recommending a major penalty.
The inquiry reportedly witnessed differences among panel members. The presiding officer and some members favoured a major penalty, while student representatives supported a lesser one and did not sign the recommendation.
JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree D Pandit signed the dismissal order on the same day, invoking provisions of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965, and relevant university regulations.
The order dismissed Akoijam from university service with immediate effect.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association subsequently questioned the Vice-Chancellor’s authority to impose the penalty. It argued that the power to dismiss a faculty member rested with the university’s Executive Council under the JNU statutes.
The association also raised concerns about alleged leaks of confidential inquiry findings.
Akoijam challenges the proceedings
Akoijam has denied the allegations and questioned the manner in which the university conducted the inquiry.
He has alleged procedural irregularities, disputed the number and nature of the complaints and questioned whether all the allegations fell within the scope of the sexual harassment framework.
He has also said that he cooperated with the inquiry, submitting a written response on May 31 and appearing for deposition on July 16. His witnesses, according to him, appeared before the committee on August 14.
He has disputed the university’s account of the volume of correspondence exchanged during the proceedings, claiming that he received or sent around 43-44 emails rather than the hundreds cited in some accounts.
Describing the proceedings as a witch hunt, Akoijam has accused what he called ‘racist schemers’ of circulating unverified claims and false information. He has also criticised media reporting and alleged breaches of confidentiality.
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The controversy has also moved into the criminal justice system.
Delhi Police registered an FIR at Vasant Kunj North police station around October 11-12 following a complaint by JNU’s chief security officer. The case incorporates findings from the university’s inquiry and invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to sexual harassment and acts intended to insult a woman’s modesty.
The police investigation is continuing. Akoijam has been asked to join the probe and has also sought anticipatory bail in related proceedings.
The High Court’s interim order does not affect the criminal investigation or determine the truth of the allegations.
A political controversy
The case has acquired a political dimension, particularly in Manipur, where Akoijam represents the Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency.
BJP workers and affiliated groups have staged protests demanding that he resign from Parliament on moral grounds. The Congress has defended its MP and accused the ruling party of exploiting the allegations for political purposes.
Akoijam entered electoral politics in 2024, defeating the BJP candidate in the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha constituency. He had emerged as a prominent voice on the prolonged ethnic conflict in Manipur and had criticised the political leadership’s handling of the violence that began in May 2023.
Before entering Parliament, he was an associate professor at JNU’s Centre for the Study of Social Systems under the School of Social Sciences. He holds a doctorate in psychology from Delhi University and has worked in social and political psychology, cultural studies and documentary filmmaking.
He has also taught at Delhi University and the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies.
Advocate Moirangthem Gunedhor Singh appeared for Akoijam, assisted by Advocates David Ahongsangbam, Hijam Chandrakumar and Ashlikumar Athokpam.
The High Court’s intervention has temporarily halted the university’s termination order. The next hearing in January will provide an opportunity for a fuller examination of the legal and procedural questions surrounding his dismissal.
