Arunachal MP Demands Action as Delhi Court Directs 7-Day Advance Notice for Bimol Akoijam in JNU Case

Arunachal Pradesh: In a major legal and political development, the Rouse Avenue Courts on Thursday disposed of the anticipatory bail plea filed by Congress Lok Sabha MP and suspended Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam.

Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh directed the Delhi Police to serve a mandatory seven-court-working-day advance physical notice to the lawmaker before initiating any custodial interrogation or taking coercive actions, including arrest. Meanwhile, regional political reactions intensified as an MP from neighboring Arunachal Pradesh demanded an unbiased investigation into the campus safety allegations.

The court passed the order after the Delhi Police submitted a reply confirming they are not contemplating his immediate arrest. However, the judge stipulated that should the probe uncover developments necessitating custody, the agency must deliver a physical notice during active court sessions, allowing the accused to seek legal remedies. The court noted that Akoijam has clean antecedents and has cooperated with the investigation.

The legal trouble for the Inner Manipur MP stems from an FIR registered on October 11 at the Vasant Kunj North Police Station under Sections 75 (sexual harassment) and 79 (insulting the modesty of a woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The case followed an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) report where at least 11 female students accused the professor of inappropriate conduct at his campus residence.

During the hearing, it was revealed that the police have not yet recorded the victims' statements because JNU authorities have failed to provide the particulars of the complainants to the investigating agency. Under the terms of the disposal, Akoijam must provide the names of two alternative contacts to receive physical notices if he is away in Manipur.

This ruling comes just days after the Delhi High Court stayed JNU’s October 9 order terminating Akoijam’s services. The High Court matter is listed for its next hearing in January 2027.

Akoijam has strongly denied all charges, terming the university's actions a "political witch hunt". Following the initial police summons, he stated, "I challenge my accusers to prove the charges; I will resign from Parliament if any allegation against me is proven."

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