A few days ago, we had reported about how eleven women students at Jawaharlal Nehru University have accused a professor, who is revealed to be a sitting Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, of sexual harassment, with complaints reportedly filed in May but the university inquiry still unresolved months later.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a protest outside the university’s School of Social Sciences on 9 September 2026, demanding action against Akoijam and questioning the delay in the inquiry into the complaints, which were reportedly submitted to JNU’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in May, as reported in OpIndia.
The allegations reportedly relate to viva examinations conducted during the first week of May. According to reports, one student’s account was shared in a students-only WhatsApp group, following which several other women students allegedly came forward with similar complaints.
The allegations reportedly include inappropriate and sexually suggestive remarks as well as claims that students were offered higher marks in exchange for sexual favours.
The allegations have not been established, and the outcome of the ICC inquiry will determine the findings in the matter.
ABVP Questions Delay in Inquiry
The ABVP has questioned why the complaints have remained unresolved for around four months.
The organisation has demanded a transparent and time-bound inquiry and raised questions about the functioning of JNU’s Internal Complaints Committee.
The delay has also drawn attention because JNU’s guidelines governing complaints of sexual harassment reportedly stipulate that an inquiry should be completed within 90 days of receipt of the complaint. The inquiry report is required to be submitted within 10 days of completion.
If the first complaint was received in May, the 90-day period would have elapsed by August.
Is inquiry against #JNU sexual exploitation scandal already compromised?
As per rules, inquiry must be concluded within 90 days of complaint.
– First complaint was received in May, much before 90 days. Why this delay happened?
– How JNU will protect victims from influence? pic.twitter.com/zHzQeu6Jhh
— Harshil (હર્ષિલ) (@MehHarshil) September 10, 2026
The ABVP has therefore sought an explanation from the university over the status of the proceedings and the reasons for the delay.
The organisation has also questioned the response of Congress, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and Left student organisations to the allegations.
Akoijam is Both JNU Professor and Congress MP
The controversy has also drawn attention because Akoijam holds both an academic position at JNU and an elected political office.
Akoijam is a professor at the Centre for the Study of Social Systems under JNU’s School of Social Sciences. According to his university profile, his areas of academic interest include social and political psychology, identity politics, conflict, nation-state and minorities, intergroup and gender relations, popular culture and the politics of knowledge.
His academic work has focused extensively on Manipur, conflict and identity politics. He has also written on issues including the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and the political history of Manipur.
Akoijam entered electoral politics in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when the Congress fielded him from Inner Manipur against BJP candidate Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh. He won the seat by more than one lakh votes and is currently serving his first term as an MP.
Meet Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, Manipur’s Congress MP very popular with Christian groups.
He is also a professor at JNU. Does any JNU student want to add anything? pic.twitter.com/jpkVkvGv2T
— Eminent Intellectual (@total_woke_) September 8, 2026
His parliamentary profile records 81% attendance, along with participation in 15 debates and 60 questions.
Questions over institutional process
The complaints have placed JNU’s Internal Complaints Committee at the centre of the controversy.
The ICC is the institutional mechanism responsible for examining complaints of sexual harassment. With the allegations reportedly dating back to May, the ABVP has sought clarity on the progress of the proceedings and whether the prescribed timeline has been followed.
The university has also come under scrutiny over whether adequate safeguards are in place for the students who have complained while the inquiry remains pending.
The allegations against Akoijam remain unproven. An inquiry by the competent institutional authority is expected to establish the facts and provide an opportunity for both the complainants and the accused to be heard.
For JNU, the immediate issue is now the status of the inquiry, the reason for the reported delay and whether the ICC proceedings are being conducted in accordance with the university’s own rules.
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