JNU students clash with cops over professor accused of sexual harassment

New Delhi: Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) clashed with cops outside the Vasant Kunj Police Station during a Monday evening protest against a professor accused of sexually harassing students in class. Demanding that the professor - Atul Johri - be immediately arrested, the students also said eight FIRs based on eight complaints should be registered.

Hundreds of students gathered outside the police station demanding strict action against Johri. While an FIR has already been filed against him, many are alleging only one FIR based on one of the many complaints has been filed. Instead, the demand is for eight separate FIRs based on eight complaints filed. The situation quickly escalated with the protesting students clashing with cops deputed to ensure law and order was not compromised.

Earlier in the day,  54 JNU professors had petitioned Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-West) Milind Dumbere's office for separate FIRs."Even though you have received 8 complaints, each of which reports incidents that are distinct and separated by space and time, you have chosen to register only one FIR under only one of the names. We are shocked to learn this as the law requires that a separate FIR is registered for each complaint," the petition said.

Meanwhile, Johri has maintained that he is innocent. While he has resigned from two administrative posts in JNU -- the director of the Human Resources Development Centre (HRDC) and the director of the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) -- on "moral grounds", he claims that the allegation against him was a "motivated move" by students with vested interests.