Delhi Police first delaying JNU prof Atul Johri's arrest and then giving him instant bail raises concerns
In the heart of the national capital, students of a central university have been up in arms for nearly a week now because the Delhi Police displayed shameless reluctance in dealing with a professor accused of sexually harassing women on the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). In a case of justice delayed and denied thoroughly, the professor got bail few hours after his arrest.
The @DelhiPolice has made mockery of justice. It takes 5 days to get #JohriArrested but 5 mins to grant him bail!
— Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) March 20, 2018
It took sustained 24*7 protests over four days in front of Vasant Kunj police station for the Delhi Police to finally arrest professor Atul Johri, who teaches at the varsity's School of Life Sciences. As many as eight women came forward to file complaints against Johri, detailing the harassment they were subjected to, but disregarding established procedures, all that Delhi Police officials did was file one complaint.
"The professor often makes sexually-coloured remarks, open demands for sex and comments on the figure of almost every girl. If a girl objects, he holds a grudge against her," the women students had said in a statement. Yet, no arrest was made. This is the stuff of nightmares for the women of Delhi.
Hundreds of #JNU students have marched and gathered in front of VasantKunj Police station with a demand of immediate arrest of Prof. #AtulJohari, who is a serial sexual assaulter and an FIR has been lodged against him on the serious charges of sexual harassment by 9 complainants. pic.twitter.com/SEZvvbEHKO
— JNU Voice (@jnu_voice) March 16, 2018
Fifty-four JNU professors had to come forward to demand that separate FIRs be registered in the case in keeping with the law. We are indeed living in troubled times if the police guarding the national capital of this country needs to be reminded of its constitutional duties. Johri's ready bail should shock our conscience - it is revolting that a man finds comfort in the police's dereliction of duty and the wilful inaction of the long arm of the law.
A petition, submitted to deputy commissioner of police (South-West) Milind Dumbere by the 54 professors, said, "Even though you have received eight 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."
"This disregard for even basic procedure suggests to us that the Delhi Police has no intention of seriously proceeding against Atul Johri," the petition said.
It is perhaps time that Delhi Police officials are given a break from duty and offered some lessons in laws related to women's safety. A couple of straightforward sensitisation chapters too should be added to their curriculum. This deliberate inaction on the part of the police is inexplicably horrifying.
Top cop Amulya Patnaik must tell us why an issue related to women's safety at a university has been taken so lightly by his men. He must tell women what hope they have in India's rape capital if his men shield sexual predators so brazenly. He must tell the world why a heinous crime was not treated as one by his good office. He must also tell us why he hasn't considered the issue worthy of his intervention.
The next time Patnaik sits down to present the annual crime data and reads out the number of crimes against women, he should know why Delhi trails most states in women's safety.
The Supreme Court needs to urgently take suo moto cognisance of the matter because what has happened in Delhi in the case of Atul Johri is a clear violation of all principles and guidelines laid by it.
It was only under sustained pressure that Johri was arrested, but the swiftness with which his bail was moved and granted by the court is a shot in the arm for repeat offenders of sexual harassment and other crimes against women. This episode will only go on to embolden sexual predators who treat sexual favours from women at workplaces and educational institutions as perks that come with the job.
Here were eight women who fortunately had the support of the students and teachers of JNU to support their cause. What is Delhi Police doing for women who do not have enough people to help them gherao police stations to drive home the point that sexual harassment is not normal and that sexual offenders belong behind the bars?
The unfortunate reality is that centres of higher learning are as prone to sexual harassment and the dominance of a patriarchal, conservative, misogynist mindset as the rest of society.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been issuing circulars since 1998 to all universities and colleges, advising them to establish a permanent cell and a committee to develop guidelines to combat sexual harassment and violence against women.
It has advised universities to be proactive by developing a conductive atmosphere on the campus, such that women are respected, feel secure and are treated well.
While universities can set up cells to investigate allegations of abuse on the campus, suspend or terminate those found guilty, this is not a harsh enough deterrent. Sexual harassment is a criminal offence. It requires the police to play a proactive role for effective deliverance of justice. There is no other way.
Those accused of sexual harassment of women can't be let loose because that threatens the safety of the victims. In order to protect their image and social status, such men can make dangerous attempts to influence victims.
That is why the law stipulates that they be arrested immediately.