Contempt petition against JNU professor Atul Johri
The students had filed the contempt plea alleging “wilful disobedience” of the earlier orders of the court. The main petition challenges the findings of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), which had given a clean chit to Johri of all the sexual harassment allegations levelled against him.
The Delhi High Court on Monday sought responses from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and ots professor Atul Johri after women students approached it with a contempt petition alleging that the University had allowed Johri to enter a laboratory.
Justice J R Midha issued notices to the university, its vice-chancellor, professor Johri and Delhi Police on the early hearing application and listed the matter for consideration on July 2.
The early hearing application was filed after the court on May 2, the last date of hearing, posted the contempt plea as well as the main matter of sexual harassment for October 31.
The students had filed the contempt plea alleging “wilful disobedience” of the earlier orders of the court. The main petition challenges the findings of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), which had given a clean chit to Johri of all the sexual harassment allegations levelled against him.
Appearing for the students, advocate Vrinda Grover, submitted that there was urgency on hearing because the petitioners are scholars who will not be able to complete their PhD if not given access to the laboratory.
“The contempt is frivolous because the access to the laboratory to Johri was provided by JNU, which found that no sexual harassment was done by him. Secondly, these girls are not there in the lab, four of them have graduated and four have been assigned different labs and supervisors. Johri has developed this lab so why should he not have access to the lab,” Johri’s advocate Amit Anand Tiwari said.
The students have not been using the laboratory after Johri was allowed by the Executive Council (EC) to use the lab. The students have alleged that they don’t find it to be a safe working environment when Johri is around.
Advocate Grover also contended that the contempt petition has been filed against JNU, its vice chancellor and the professor for allegedly “wilfully disobeying” the earlier directions of the high court given in its orders of May 29 and May 2, 2018.
The plea sought contempt proceedings against JNU, VC and Johri and that the resolution passed in the EC’s meeting be stayed.
The court had earlier sought response of the police on an application by the students seeking direction for filing of charge sheet expeditiously in the sexual harassment case lodged against Johri by them.
The matter would be now heard on July 2.
