Delhi Police have registered an FIR naming Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam in connection with sexual harassment allegations reported at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), days after the controversy surrounding the parliamentarian and former professor came to light.
According to officials, the FIR was registered at Vasant Kunj North police station on Sunday, October 11, following a complaint by JNU’s Chief Security Officer. The case has been lodged under Sections 75, 75(1)(i), 75(1)(iv) and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police officials said the matter was under investigation, with further details awaited.
According to media reports, 11 female students had lodged sexual harassment complaints against Akoijam in May 2024. The complaints allegedly accused him of inviting students to his campus residence under the pretext of meetings or gatherings and attempting to sexually harass them. Some students also alleged that he made obscene and inappropriate remarks in the classroom.
The allegations were reportedly examined during an inquiry preceding the university’s decision to dismiss him from his teaching position. The allegations remain subject to the relevant legal process.
The development triggered a political controversy on Sunday, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) questioning the Congress leadership over its response to the allegations against its MP.
Addressing a press conference, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj criticised Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his earlier remarks on fighting patriarchy and demanded accountability from the Congress leadership.
“Today, while we are worshipping Maa Shailputri, I am bringing a very serious issue concerning the daughters of this country before you. JNU has dismissed Congress MP Bimol Akoijam from his job over allegations of sexual misconduct. In 2024, not one or two, but 11 students filed sexual harassment complaints against him. JNU constituted an Internal Committee under the POSH Act, which, after a detailed probe, immediately dismissed Akoijam,” Swaraj said.
Questioning the Congress’s stance on women’s rights, the BJP leader referred to Rahul Gandhi’s “Smash the Patriarchy” remark and accused the party of failing to demonstrate accountability in the matter.
“Is ‘Smash the Patriarchy’ only a political rhetoric for you? It seems that this incident is reflecting the hypocrisy of Congress. For them, feminism starts with a hashtag and ends when it comes to accountability,” she said.
Swaraj also questioned why senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi, had not publicly commented on the allegations.
“Is women’s respect just restricted to being a slogan and not a policy of the Congress party?” she asked.
The case has brought renewed attention to the allegations against Akoijam, the university’s disciplinary action and the ongoing police investigation. The allegations have not been established as criminal wrongdoing through a court verdict.
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