JNU Professor Accused Of Harassment, Offered Extra Marks For Sexual Favours

A WhatsApp conversation among Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students after viva examinations in May led to sexual harassment complaints against a professor, with 11 students approaching the university's Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) alleging inappropriate conduct, sexually suggestive remarks and offers of higher marks in exchange for sexual favours.The ICC subsequently began its proceedings and asked students to appear before it to record their statements.The allegations reportedly gained momentum after one student recounted her experience in a students-only WhatsApp group following viva examinations held in the first week of May. Her account prompted other students to share similar experiences, according to sources.Sources said the professor allegedly made comments with sexual overtones during the viva and suggested that students could be rewarded with higher marks if they entertained his advances."The students say the incidents began coming to light after one student spoke about what she experienced during the viva. Other students then shared similar accounts. One of the allegations is that the professor linked additional marks to whether students would accept his advances," a source familiar with the matter told NDTV.The allegations are not limited to the viva examinations. Students have also alleged that the professor invited them to gatherings at his residence on the JNU campus, where he allegedly made sexual advances. Some complaints further accuse him of making lewd or inappropriate comments during classes.The university went into a semester break of around 45 days soon after the complaint was filed. When students returned and classes resumed in July, the issue once again began circulating on campus, a source said.More students, including senior students, subsequently came forward with similar allegations following another complaint against the professor.The ICC has declined to comment on the matter, saying the complaint is an internal issue and is currently under investigation. The JNU administration has also not commented on the allegations.The case comes after JNU had taken action in another sexual harassment matter involving a senior faculty member. In April last year, the university's Executive Council dismissed four employees in separate cases, including a faculty member accused of sexual harassment.The faculty member was identified as Swaran Singh, a senior professor at the School of International Studies. He was dismissed over allegations involving a Japanese official from the Embassy of Japan, according to an official familiar with that case at the time.