A professor at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, commonly known as JNU, is facing serious allegations of sexual harassment from his students. At least ten female students have come forward with formal complaints, and the matter has now reached the university's Internal Complaints Committee, or ICC, for a detailed investigation.
What the students have alleged
According to the complaints, the professor, who lives on campus, would frequently invite students to meetings or informal gatherings at his residence. Several of the women who complained have described his conduct during these gatherings as deeply uncomfortable, with some calling out specific incidents in detail. A number of the complaints also allege that the professor made obscene or objectionable remarks during regular class sessions, leaving some students feeling unsafe even inside the classroom. This is not something that surfaced overnight; the first complaints reached the ICC roughly a month ago, and the university's internal inquiry has been running since then.
Senior students coming forward widened the case
The matter gained further attention after a few senior students also stepped forward and made similar allegations against the same professor. That has raised the possibility that this pattern of behaviour is not confined to the current batch of students but may have been going on for a longer period. Once the complaints were received, the ICC began digging deeper into the case, and the investigation is expected to involve conversations not just with current students but also with alumni, to establish whether similar complaints had surfaced in the past as well. That is one reason officials believe the number of complaints could keep rising in the days ahead. At the same time, none of these allegations have been independently verified so far, which means it would be premature to draw firm conclusions before the inquiry runs its course. JNU's complaints committee has declined to offer any detailed comment on the matter, citing the confidentiality oath its members are bound by.
Where the ICC investigation currently stands
JNU's Internal Complaints Committee exists specifically to hear and investigate complaints of sexual harassment on campus. The students' complaints were formally handed over to this committee about a month ago. The panel is now speaking with students one by one to gather facts and build a clearer picture of what allegedly took place. Student representatives associated with the ICC have also refused to comment publicly, again citing the same confidentiality oath, which suggests the probe is still at a fairly early stage and a final report is likely to take more time.
Silence from the university administration and the police
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, JNU's Vice Chancellor has not issued any public statement on the matter so far. Available information suggests the university administration is likely to release a formal statement in the near future, after which the picture should become clearer. Separately, there is no indication yet that a police complaint has been filed in connection with the case. A Delhi Police DCP also confirmed that no police complaint related to the incident has been received so far. For now, the entire matter remains within the university's internal complaints process, and whatever the ICC's investigation uncovers will determine what happens next.
