New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed a JNU professor, accused of sexually harassing women students, not to take charge as the warden of any hostel in the campus which houses women.
Meanwhile, the JNU administration has refused to comply with the court's order until the professor is proved guilty. The administration also reportedly said that girls have not filed any complaint against him in the Internal Complaint Committe.
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. The court passed the direction after it was informed by 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 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 potentional 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.