Karnataka HC stays financial impropriety probe against IIMB associate professor who complained of caste bias
Karnataka's Civil Rights Enforcement Directorate is probing IIM Bangalore associate professor Gopal Das’s complaint of caste-based discrimination.
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According to Gopal Das’s petition, the directorate started the investigation in March on the orders of the chief secretary, which followed a communication from the office of President Droupadi Murmu, to whom he had sent a complaint.The Karnataka High Court has stayed a financial impropriety inquiry that Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) initiated against an associate professor who had accused his eight colleagues, including the IIM’s director, of caste-based discrimination.
Gopal Das, the associate professor, approached the court after the IIM on June 24 constituted a committee to look into the allegations of financial irregularities related to his travel bills, which the authorities were said to have reviewed and settled one and a half years ago.
In his petition, Gopal Das stated that the inquiry was an “ill-driven” one meant to gain a bargaining position against him as the Civil Rights Enforcement Directorate, a state government body, was investigating his complaint of caste-based discrimination.
According to Gopal Das’s petition, the directorate started the investigation in March on the orders of the chief secretary, which followed a communication from the office of President Droupadi Murmu, to whom he had sent a complaint.
On Wednesday Justice B M Shyam Prasad said in his order, “To ensure that there is no precipitation, the operation of the impugned Communication dated 24.06.2024 of the second respondent, and consequentially further proceedings by the Committee constituted as indicated therein, are stayed until the next date of hearing. There shall be Emergent Notice returnable within three weeks to the respondents (Director, IIMB).”
Gopal Das, who alleges that he has been repeatedly humiliated and denied promotion despite his credentials, said he complained to Murmu during her visit to the IIM in January. He joined the institute in 2018.
On 15 May, Gopal Das wrote to P Manivannan, principal secretary in the state social welfare department, stating that he was being subjected to harassment after the inquiry into his complaint was initiated. On June 6, the IIM’s director served a showcause notice to Das alleging that he had unauthorisedly provided information to the media.
According to Gopal Das’s counsel, Y H Vijaykumar, the IIM director and dean have also filed a civil suit seeking an injunction against the associate professor from making public statements through the media.
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