Bengaluru Police registered an FIR against Infosys Co-Founder and IISc Director under the SC/ST Act. The action follows a court order based on a complaint by a former IISc faculty member. The complainant alleged caste-based discrimination at the institute. The case has sparked debate over workplace bias and legal accountability.
Bengaluru: The Bengaluru police filed charges against Infosys co-founder Senapathy Kris Gopalakrishnan, former Indian Institute of Science (IISc) director Balaram P, and sixteen others under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, following an order from a Bengaluru court.
On January 28, the Sadashiva Nagar police registered a first information report (FIR) against Gopalakrishnan and the others as directed by the City Civil and Sessions Court in Bengaluru, based on a complaint from a former IISc faculty member.
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At the time of the alleged incident, Gopalakrishnan was serving on the governing council of IISc. The complainant, Sanna Durgappa, who belongs to the Bovi community and previously worked as an assistant professor at IISc’s Centre for Sustainable Technology, claimed he was denied funding for a laboratory and a workspace.
Feeling aggrieved, Durgappa had requested financial support for research projects from the authorities at the Institute, specifically for academics from SC/ST communities.
However, he alleged that he was falsely implicated in two cases one involving alleged financial fraud and another concerning sexual harassment leading to his dismissal from IISc.
Durgappa subsequently requested an investigation by the State Legislative Assembly’s SC/ST committee, which took place in August 2017.
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The investigation concluded that there had been no incidents of sexual harassment and that Durgappa had been targeted because of his Dalit status.
Following this, Durgappa approached the court seeking action against the accused.
Senapathy Kris Gopalakrishnan is a co-founder of Infosys and a prominent technology entrepreneur in India. He has played a key role in shaping India’s IT industry and fostering innovation.
Balaram P is a former director of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), known for his contributions to scientific research and academia. He has been instrumental in advancing education and research in India.