Found research work to be collaborative, no evidence of plagiarism: IISER

In its statement, IISER stated, “The institute's academic ethics committee conducted an inquiry into the complaint. The

5 min readMumbaiUpdated: Jan 14, 2023 07:59 AM IST

A First Information Report in connection to the case was lodged at the Shahdara police station in Delhi on December 19 under Section 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code. (Express Photo)

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Found research work to be collaborative, no evidence of plagiarism: IISER

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A statement issued by the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune today in connection with the case of suicide attempt of its Ph.D student Garima Agarwal mentions that no evidence of plagiarism as alleged by her was found in this matter.

A native of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, Garima got admission into MSc and PhD (Mathematics) at IISER, Pune in 2016. According to her family, Garima had been suffering from depression after her PhD thesis was allegedly plagiarised. She tried to end her life by consuming an overdose of her medicines for depression at her residence in Delhi on December 14. She was then admitted to a hospital for treatment. A First Information Report (FIR) was lodged at the Shahdara police station in Delhi on December 19 under Section 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

According to the FIR, in 2020, due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the college management asked all students to go home. Garima went to Delhi, where she started living with her sister.

In September 2020, IISER faculty member Goswami became Garima’s supervisor for PhD and MSc thesis. According to the FIR, another student, Shristi Gupta, was also completing her thesis under Goswami’s guidance.

As per the FIR, Gupta submitted her MSc thesis to IISER, in which she allegedly copied Garima’s work presented during the online meetings with Goswami. Gupta allegedly claimed it was her work and Goswami too certified it, saying it was done under her supervision, states the FIR.

Garima stated she ignored it fearing that her supervisor would damage her career. Meanwhile, Gupta got her MSc degree from IISER and then took admission in an MBA course in Delhi University (DU).

Garima stated she again started her PhD work under Goswami. According to the FIR, by July 2022, Garima had completed her new research work and it was ready to be published in the journal. But then she got to know that Goswami had allegedly put Gupta’s name as ‘author’ on the thesis.

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This time, Garima called Goswami and questioned him about it. But Goswami allegedly told Garima that he had “promised” Gupta and wanted to “launch her in academia”. Goswami also allegedly threatened to damage Garima’s career if she filed a complaint over the issue, according to the FIR.

On July 25, 2022, Garima’s sister Dr Shilpa Goel filed a detailed complaint to the IISER director through email. The institute conducted an inquiry into the complaint and passed an order on November 22. “IISER found Goswami guilty and passed an order that he should not supervise any new student for the next one year. But in the same order, I was given directions to work with Goswami… due to this, I started suffering from depression,” Garima stated in the FIR and sought action against Goswami, Gupta and the IISER director.

IISER’s statement today mentions “the institute’s academic ethics committee conducted an inquiry into the complaint. The committee found the PhD and master’s research work to be collaborative in nature and have not found evidence for plagiarism as alleged. The committee found that the supervisor did not ensure proper sharing of credit between two collaborating PhD and master’s students, and that the master’s thesis did not acknowledge the PhD student’s academic contribution.”

“Thus, commensurate with the lapse, the supervisor has been disallowed from admitting any new thesis students in his research group for a year, and the master’s thesis has been asked to be modified in order to acknowledge the PhD student’s academic contribution. A pre-print paper authored by only the PhD student and the supervisor has also been published on September 10, 2022.”

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“Following the conclusion of the inquiry in November 2022, to help the PhD student with the remaining portion of her PhD programme, the department Chairperson had suggested that an independent faculty member from the department would oversee the publication of research papers and finalization of thesis of the student and would mediate interactions between the student and the supervisor. This was further assured by the Dean Academics in an email to the complainant,” it is stated.

IISER statement on Wednesday mentioned that the institute has referred the matter to its Board of Governors. On January 9, Prof Jayant Udgaonkar, Director, IISER, Pune, gave a letter signed by him to ABVP’s Pune city head Shubhankar Bachal, stating the institute will “recommend to the Board of Governors, IISER, Pune stronger action against Goswami… including suspension.”

Meanwhile, Delhi police has contacted IISER, Pune seeking information in connection with the investigation into the suicide attempt of Garima.

Chandan Haygunde

Chandan Haygunde is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With over 20 years of experience in journalism, he is one of the region's most authoritative voices on crime, national security, and legal affairs. Professional Profile Specialization: He specialises covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He is at the helm of the widely read weekly series “Pune Crime Files”. He is widely recognized for his deep-dive coverage of the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and the Elgaar Parishad investigation. Key Beats: His portfolio includes covering crimes mainly under the jurisdiction of Pune City, Pune rural and Pimpri Chinchwad Police, along with the sensitive cases from the state, being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Background: Before his long tenure at The Indian Express, he worked with other Marathi and English publications, giving him a unique grassroots understanding of Maharashtra's socio-political landscape. Awards and Recognition: He got the CMS PANOS Young Environment Journalist Award in January 2014 for investigative reports on illegal activities in Sahyadri Tiger Rerserve. He received the award for outstanding investigative journalism by the Lokmat group in Pune in January 2020, “Missing since 2010, Pune youth a ‘Maoist Commander’ in Chhattisgarh”, which appeared on July 9, 2019. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) In recent months, Chandan’s reporting has focused on high-profile terror case investigations, inter-state firearms racket, leopard movements in Pune city, cyber scams and hearings of the Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry. 1. High-Profile crimes and terrorism cases “Techie linked to Al-Qaeda preached democracy is against Shariat” (Nov 17, 2025). Reporting on the ongoing investigation into the arrest of IT professional Zubair Hangargekar (37) from Pune for alleged terror links. “The case against Jyoti Jagtap, member of ‘Maoist front’ Kabir Kala Manch and Elgaar Parishad organiser, granted interim bail by apex court” (Nov 20, 2025) Tracking the updates in the high profile Elgaar Parishad case related to the alleged naxal activities in urban areas. “How NIA arrested doctor turned ‘ISIS recruiter’ in Maharashtra terror module case” (Nov 24, 2025) After the arrest of doctors in Delhi Red Fort blast, a report on alleged terror links of a consulting anaesthetist from a Pune hospital. “A year after loco pilot averts tragedy by spotting gas cylinder on railway track, probe still inconclusive” (Dec 8, 2025). Report on the unsolved case of a suspected sabotage incident, which could have derailed a train. “No records of Sambhaji Maharaj’s cremation available: Author, ex-IAS officer Vishwas Patil tells Koregaon Bhima panel” (Dec 1, 2025) Reporting on a sensitive issue related to the Koregaon Bhima violence. 2. Inter-state firearms racket "Pune police swoop down on ‘village of pistols’ in Madhya Pradesh; 36 detained, 50 kilns destroyed" (Nov 22, 2025) "Recce a week before, microplanning: how Pune police raided ‘village of pistols’ in MP" (Nov 24, 2025) Reporting on the illegal gun manufacturing units in Umarti village, Madhya Pradesh 3. Cybercrime & Financial Scams “Pimpri Chinchwad police arrest ‘bank account supplier’ with links to China, nationwide cyber scams" (Nov 27, 2025) An investigative look at the modus opernadi of international cyber-gangs cheating high-earning professionals across the country ‘Your case linked to Pahalgam terrorist’: Pune businessman loses Rs 1.44 crore to fraudster posing as NIA chief" (Oct 18, 2025) Report on the tricks played on cyber scammers cheating people through digital arrest frauds Signature Style: The Investigative Hit Chandan is known for his ability to cultivate deep-cover sources within the police and intelligence agencies. His writing often goes beyond the "police version" of events, providing historical context and identifying systemic lapses. He is particularly respected for his balanced reporting on sensitive communal issues and his persistent tracking of the Maoist urban-link cases, making his columns essential reading for legal experts and policymakers. X (Twitter): @chandan_pune ... Read More

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