JNU prof Johri can't take charge of women's hostels

New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Wednesday directed a JNU professor, accused of sexually harassing women students, should not take charge as warden of any hostel in the university campus which houses women.

While also directing the professor not to interact with the students, the court also questioned the varsity over the absence of women members in a fact-finding committee, set up by it to probe his alleged misconduct.

It passed the direction after it was informed by the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) counsel that Prof. Atul Kumar Johri had resigned from administrative work and was no more the warden of any hostel or member of any committee.

The court said the university will consider the advisability of sending Prof. Johri on leave and this decision can be taken by the varsity after the fact-finding committee, set up by JNU, gives its findings. “In my view, it is also in the interest of the professor to reduce the chance of interaction with the complainants or potential witnesses,” Justice Rajiv Shakdher said.

“These directions are made on the stand taken by JNU’s counsel to provide a safe working environment to the petitioner students,” the court said and asked the professor not to visit laboratory no. 409 of the department of life sciences where the students work.

The court was hearing a petition filed by several women students seeking suspension of the professor, against whom eight FIRs have been lodged alleging sexual harassment, and to restrain him from entering the campus. The plea has sought the provision of a safe working environment to the students.

The court noted that the fact finding committee, set up by the varsity to enquire into the aspect of alleged misconduct by the professor, comprised of two male professors.

It asked the JNU’s advocate Ginni Rautray to advise the vice-chancellor to re-constitute the panel by including a female professor before whom the women students could depose comfortably. “They have put two male professors in the fact finding committee. Why not any female professor? How will the students answer to a male member properly. A woman member can ask questions in a better manner as the allegations pertain to sexual harassment,” it said.