HC grants more time to complete probe in JNU professor misconduct case

The Delhi High Court grantedmore time to Jawaharlal Nehru University's Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) to complete its probe into the alleged misconduct of one of its professors, accused of sexually harassing women students.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru granted two weeks' time to complete the ICC proceedings against the Professor Atul Kumar Johri, accused of sexually harassing women students.

JNU's counsel told the court that it needs three more weeks to complete the probe, as it received the court's order on June 19.

On May 29, the court directed the committee to take a decision on the suspension of Johri after examining the material on record.

The court has ordered that the professor would have no access to Laboratory No. 409 of the Department of Life Sciences.

The court has also said that if necessary, a separate laboratory should be given to professor to conduct his work.

It has also passed the direction that the professor should not take charge as warden of any women's hostel on the JNU campus and listed the matter for August 17 for further hearing.

On March 16, police had registered only one FIR based on nine complaints. Later, they registered eight FIRs against Johri on separate complaints of nine students, who alleged that he sexually harassed them in a lab of the Department of Life Sciences.

--IANS

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