The Delhi High Court on Friday issued a notice to the Delhi police on a plea seeking directions to them to file a chargesheet against JNU Professor Atul Johri accused of sexually harassing students.
A Single bench presided by Justice JR Midha sought a reply from the Delhi Police and posted the matter for hearing on October 31.
The application in this regard was moved by eight JNU students after the Delhi Police filed its status report on April 30 in the matter.
The students had separately registered FIRs against Johar, a professor from School of Life Sciences, in March 2018.
In the application moved through senior advocate Vrinda Grover, the student complaintants have alleged that despite lapse of more than a year since the registration of FIR, the Delhi Police failed to file a chargesheet in the matter.
It further mentioned that the status report dated April 30, 2019, filed by the Delhi Police failed to provide any justification for non-filing of the chargesheet.
The complainants in their application accused the police of "shielding the accused for legal consequences" by not filing the charge sheet.
"The case involves serious allegations which are exacerbated by the fact that the accused still holds the position and the authority of a professor. In such circumstances, it is incumbent upon the investigation authorities to conduct the investigation in a fair and prompt manner in order to ensure that the complainant and the other victims of sexual offences do not lose faith in the criminal justice system," the application states.
The students also demanded that the present case be treated with "utmost seriousness" in the view of the fact that there are eight FIRs of the sexual harassment and allegations of outraging the modesty against the professor.
The application forms part of a petition seeking Johri's suspension and a declaration that he should not be allowed to enter the university campus.
In March, Delhi's Patiala House Court had granted bail to Johar hours after he was arrested by the police.
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