JNU dismisses Bimol Akoijam after inquiry into sexual harassment complaints

Guwahati: In a major setback Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has dismissed Associate Professor and Congress Lok Sabha MP from Manipu Angomcha Bimol Akoijam from university service with immediate effect following an inquiry into sexual harassment complaints filed by female students.

JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree D. Pandit stated the university’s Internal Committee (IC) investigated the allegations against Akoijam, who served at the Centre for the Study of Social Systems (CSSS) under the School of Social Sciences.

“Based on the findings, the Internal Committee (IC) recommended Major Punishment to Prof. Angomcha Bimol Akoijam,” the order stated, citing the applicable service rules and Rule 11(ix) of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules.


The university said it imposed the penalty of dismissal after following due process and evaluating the findings of the inquiry report.

The action follows complaints by 11 female students who accused Akoijam of sexual harassment. The allegations included claims that he invited students to gatherings at his campus residence, made inappropriate sexual advances and made lewd remarks during classes.

Akoijam, was Lok Sabha MP from the Inner Manipur constituency. He has evolved as a major face of the Congress in the crisis ridden Manipur.

Congress MP A. Bimol Akoijam on his dismissal from JNU, said, "I don't want to respond to social media. If this (incident) is true, it is a blessing in disguise for me, as I wanted these people to come out without their masks. The POSH Act, 2013, is not a Chinese Act; it is an Indian law passed by the Indian Parliament. Let the countrymen see its requirements. For me, this is the best thing that could happen to expose this 'witch hunt'. I have nothing to hide. I don't have the report or the dismissal order. If there are allegations then show me the evidence in the report or anywhere. Only then will you understand how this witch hunt has been going on. If it is true, let me see it."

Improvised Explosive Devices

The Assam Rifles and Indian Army bomb disposal teams detected and safely neutralised 27 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) during a 48-hour intelligence-led operation along an 8-km route in Manipur’s Kamjong district.

The security forces also arrested three militants belonging to different banned outfits and apprehended a drug peddler in separate operations, officials said on Friday.

A defence spokesman said that the Assam Rifles and Indian Army bomb disposal teams detected and safely neutralised the 27 IEDs along the Shangkhalok-Pilong route in the hilly Kamjong district.

The timely operation thwarted attempts to disrupt peace and security in the area and ensured the safe movement of local border communities, the spokesman said, adding that the IEDs had been concealed among bushes along the hill route.

He said that sniffer dogs were also deployed during the operation, while specialised electronic devices were used to detect the explosive devices and facilitate their safe neutralisation.

The successful operation was considered significant in view of the security challenges in the region, particularly along vulnerable routes in the hill districts bordering Myanmar.

Meanwhile, security forces have arrested three militants belonging to different banned outfits and apprehended a suspected drug peddler in separate operations in Manipur.

The drug peddler was allegedly carrying brown sugar concealed in 60 soap cases, weighing a total of 785 grams. The arrested drug peddler was identified as Ngamkhojang Kipgen, 35, a resident of Tuidam village in Churachandpur district.

The three arrested militants belong to the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and the People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK). They were arrested in separate operations in Imphal East district, officials said.

In another operation, a police official said that, acting on reliable intelligence inputs, a joint team of Manipur Police and central security forces conducted a search operation near the bank of the Waishen River under Wangoi police station in Imphal West district.

During the search, the joint team recovered one 7.62-mm Self-Loading Rifle (SLR) with a magazine, one single-barrel breech-loading firearm, nine assorted live rounds of ammunition and three wireless communication sets. The recovered weapons, ammunition and communication equipment are being examined as part of the ongoing efforts to identify and dismantle militant networks operating in the state.