Infosys Co-Founder, 17 IISc Professors Booked Under SC/ST Act

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A police case has been filed against Infosys co-founder S “Kris” Gopalakrishnan and 17 faculty members of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The complaint was lodged by former IISc faculty member D Sanna Durgappa, who alleges wrongful dismissal and caste-based discrimination.

Durgappa, belonging to the tribal Bovi community, was terminated from IISc’s Centre for Sustainable Technologies over sexual harassment allegations. He claims the accusations were fabricated due to his caste background. He also alleged that the institute’s Sexual Harassment Complaints Committee (SHCC) violated Supreme Court guidelines by lacking an NGO representative.

Despite a Karnataka SC/ST Committee report in 2017 clearing him of the charges, Durgappa’s requests for reinstatement were ignored. The 71st City Civil and Sessions Court later directed police to file an FIR and investigate the matter.

The FIR names several senior IISc faculty members, including IISc Board of Trustees member Kris Gopalakrishnan. There has been no response from IISc or Gopalakrishnan. However, former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai criticized the charges, calling for a fair investigation.

The case has drawn comparisons to a recent caste discrimination case at IIM Bengaluru, where an associate professor accused the institute’s director and officials of harassment.

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