New Delhi: Day after Delhi court granted bail to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Atul Johri, students of the premier university on Wednesday protested in the campus demanding suspension of the professor alleged for sexual harassment cases against female students.
Students said, “We want JNU to suspend him and declare that he cannot enter University premises.”
JNU professor Atul Johri was granted bail hours after he was arrested by the Delhi police on Tuesday.
Also read: JNU professor accused of sexual harassment arrested, gets bail
An FIR was filed against Johri, who teaches at the School of Life Sciences, based on one of eight complaints from women students, and the students union has been protesting on campus against him.
Meanwhile, a statement given by one of the victims in the JNU on how professor Atul Johri was allegedly harassing female students is really startling.
While the professor in the court on Tuesday said he was a victim of politics and his lawyer refuted the allegations, India Today has accessed one of the victim's statements.
Below is the complete unedited statement (posted by India Today) given to the police by one of the victims:
"Prof Atul Johari is my supervisor. When I joined Atul Johari's lab in 2013, he appeared more than required friendly. He once asked me if I have any boy friend and if I have, then do I have any physical relationship with him.
He once told me a joke like, "shivji ne Parthavi se bola mujhe who (vagina) chahiye." He used keep sharing such jokes. He used to ask me to come to his office room to discuss work. When I used to go there, he used to make me sit on a sofa besides him rather on the table and chair. While sitting beside me on a sofa, he used to inapproachably touch my back and shoulders, always without my permission.
This was always sexually intentioned and made me feel uncomfortable. In 2014, inside his chambers, when I went to ask for my synopsis, he told me "You have nice boobs (breast). Please maintain your lower part unlike many other girls who do not and look ugly."
When I resisted him on all such statements, he said "come on you an adult". These statements were always unwelcome and very embarrassing. When I shared this with my lab mates, and he got to know about the fact that I was informing other women students about his unwelcome acts, he became vindictive towards me.
He made the work environment hostile for me, stopped giving any attention to my work and delayed all my academic assignments. Then when I tried to change my lab, I was not supported in my department. I asked the Dean to change my supervisor and informed that I was sexually harassed. Since, I could not change my lab, I had no choice but to continue under him.
In January 2017, I sent the manuscript of my research paper to him but till date he had not responded. Whenever, a girl denies sexual favour to him or, like my case, resist his unwelcome actions, he delays the academic publications of the girl, as was my case. I am extremely depressed, and worried, because I have to submit my thesis in July. I till date did not report it since I did not received any conducive response from my rest of the department and always worried regarding the completion of my PhD. But I have always felt very vulnerable in his presence and his sexually intentioned statements and actions have always made me very uncomfortable.
Several times, Atul Johri's wife had come to the lab and requested us to not stay in lab after 6 pm or not to engage with sir for any academic activities. Due to the fear that my professional and academic life, would be disturbed, I did not file any complaint against Atul Johri.
However, after reading today's news and after knowing what he has done to other students from my centre, I decided to file complaint. I would request that strict action should be taken against Mr Johri."
