JNU Professor, Atul Johri, granted bail in 8 sexual harassment cases

New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor Atul Johri, who was arrested for alleged sexual harassment of several women students, was granted bail by a Delhi court on Tuesday. The duty magistrate granted bail to Johri on various conditions and directed him to furnish a bail bond of Rs 30,000 for each of the eight FIRs registered against him. Image grab: ABP News "For foregoing reasons, I'm of the opinion that no purpose would be served by keeping the accused in custody, accordingly accused admitted to bail on his furnishing bail bond in the sum of Rs 30,000 with one surety of like amount," the court, which granted him bail in as many eight similar cases, said. The court conditions include- he shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threaten the complainant/any person acquainted with the facts of the case. In his bail plea, Johri said that in compliance with certain UGC guidelines with regard to compulsory attendance and leave pattern, he had sent an e-mail on February 27 to certain students, including the complainant (student), warning them against their irregular attendance pattern. Johri said that before receiving the e-mail pertaining to her attendance, the complainant had cordial relations with him and his wife, and she even celebrated birthdays and festivals with them, he said. He pointed out that woman and her other "accomplices" never made any sort of complaint or representation with the Internal Complaints Committee of the JNU with regard to the alleged harassment. An FIR was filed against the Department of Life Sciences professor based on one of the eight complaints from women students.