A Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor in Delhi is being investigated after 11 students of the institute filed a sexual harassment complaint with the internal complaints committee (ICC), university sources said.
What the professor said
Though the students went on a roughly 45-day semester break, the discussions about the complaint resurfaced when classes resumed in mid-July. In April 2025, JNU’s executive council dismissed four staff members, including a teaching faculty member accused of sexual harassment. The complaint was filed in May this year, following which the ICC began its proceedings, calling several students to record their statements, HT reported earlier. The dismissed teaching member was identified as Swaran Singh, a senior professor at JNU’s School of International Studies, HT reported at the time.
The professor allegedly made inappropriate remarks with sexual connotations during the viva examinations held in the first week of May. Following this, an ICC complaint was submitted later in the month, with several students recording their statements in the case. The latest complaint comes against the backdrop of a previous sexual harassment case at the university against a senior faculty member. The other three were named in a corruption case. He was accused of sexually harassing a Japanese official from the Embassy of Japan. The Japanese official, who reportedly coordinated with professors for academic events, had filed a complaint after her last meeting with Swaran Singh.
“He made remarks suggesting that he would award them extra marks if the students accepted his sexual advances,” the source told HT. An official familiar with the matter had told HT that multiple complaints had allegedly been made against Singh in the past.
The incident took place in May 2024, after which the ICC conducted an extensive investigation, during which both sides had the opportunity to present their statements. Since there was plenty of evidence against Singh, including audio recordings, he was dismissed.
