ARTI DEVI Vs. JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This writ petition has been filed by the Petitioner, who is a Research Scholar, under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, praying for an impartial enquiry into her complaint of sexual harassment. The prayer in the petition reads as under:

(2.) The background is that on 9th January, 2018, the Petitioner had filed a complaint alleging sexual harassment, before the Internal Complaints Committee (hereinafter, "ICC") of JNU. After an enquiry that lasted nearly eight months, on 2nd August, 2018, the ICC submitted its Report and Recommendations, which, inter alia, recommended that the Petitioner's request for registration be considered. The said recommendation reads as under: -

(3.) An appeal was filed by the Petitioner against the recommendations of the ICC. Further representations were also made by her. Since there was no response, the writ petition was filed. Notice was issued on 12th September 2019 and initially there was some confusion as to whether the appeal of the Petitioner was decided or not. JNU's counsel was to ascertain the exact status of the appeal as also the representation of the Petitioner for re-registration to the PhD programme, as per the recommendation of the ICC.