Case Filed Against IIMB Director, Professors After Dalit Associate Professor Alleges Caste Bias

A case has been filed against the director and seven professors of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB), following allegations of caste-based discrimination by a Dalit associate professor. The complaint, lodged by the associate professor, led to the registration of a case on Friday under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

"We received the complaint and have filed a case. However, the individuals named in the FIR claimed that they obtained a stay order from the court the same evening. We are yet to receive the order," said a senior police officer.

The complaint followed an investigation report from the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE), prompted the Social Welfare Department to direct the state police chief to initiate legal proceedings.

The associate professor, Gopal Das, accused eight individuals at IIMB of deliberately revealing and publicizing his caste at the workplace, leading to allegations of discrimination and denial of equal opportunities. He further claimed to have faced threats and mental harassment.

In response, IIMB issued a statement refuting the accusations. The institute maintained that instead of experiencing discrimination, Das has been consistently supported since his recruitment in 2018. According to IIMB, he applied for the position of Assistant Professor but was offered the role of Associate Professor based on his qualifications and experience. The institute emphasized that Das had received significant incentives for his research and teaching, in addition to his salary as per the 7th Central Pay Commission.

IIMB also pointed out that Das had been assigned leadership roles, including Chairperson of the Institutional Review Board, Member of the Career Development Services Committee, and Member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. The institute further noted that Das had been given the freedom to teach courses of his choice across various academic programs.

The institute’s statement added that the allegations of discrimination were raised only after Das’s promotion application was put on hold due to complaints from doctoral students regarding his behavior. An inquiry conducted by IIMB, which included a reputed academic from the SC category, found the students' complaints to be valid.​