Bangalore- In a significant development following The Mooknayak’s detailed report on caste-based discrimination at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore, the Bengaluru police have registered an FIR against the institution’s Director, Dean (Faculty), and six other faculty members.

The charges, brought under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Ordinance, 2014 (Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(s)) and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 (Sections 351(2) and 351(3)), mark a pivotal step towards accountability in one of India’s premier educational institutions.

This is reportedly the first time since the establishment of IIMs in India that a serving director has been accused of caste-based discrimination and named in an FIR for committing atrocities against a faculty member.

The FIR registered by the Bengaluru Police names eight accused including IIM Bangalore Director Dr. Rishikesh T. Krishnan and 7 Professors Dr. Dinesh Kumar, Dr. Sainesh G, Dr. Srinivas Prakhya, Dr. Chetan Subramanian, Dr. Ashish Mishra, Dr. Srilatha Jonnalagedda and Dr. Rahul De. These individuals stand accused under various provisions of the SC-ST Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for caste-based atrocities and systemic discrimination

The FIR, filed at the Mico Layout Police Station, follows mounting pressure from activists, civil rights organizations, and the public after The Mooknayak first published a detailed report on the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE) investigation findings on Thursday. The report revealed the DCRE report that conformed systemic caste-based harassment faced by Associate Professor Gopal Das, a globally acclaimed Dalit scholar at IIM Bangalore.

On November 26, 2024, the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) for DCRE submitted a report to the Karnataka Social Welfare Department, confirming Professor Das’s allegations. It revealed deliberate caste disclosures, exclusion from academic opportunities, and institutional neglect in addressing caste grievances. The report specifically implicated IIM Bangalore Director Dr. Rishikesha T. Krishnan, Dean (Faculty) Dr. Dinesh Kumar, and other faculty members.

The findings, however, remained under wraps until The Mooknayak published an investigative story on December 19, bringing nationwide attention to the issue. The report highlighted the violations under both the SC-ST (PoA) Act and the BNS 2023, igniting a public outcry for justice.

Allegations Against IIM Bangalore Leadership

Professor Das, a distinguished IIT Kharagpur alumnus and one of Stanford University’s top 2% researchers for five consecutive years, joined IIM Bangalore in April 2018. Despite his stellar academic performance, Das alleged targeted harassment due to his Dalit identity, including:

• Public disclosure of his caste through mass emails.

• Exclusion from elective courses and PhD programs.

• Denial of access to institutional resources.

• Retaliatory actions, including a show-cause notice for unauthorized media communication.

Das had first brought these allegations to light during a meeting with President Draupadi Murmu in January 2024, prompting the President’s office to direct a formal investigation.

Acting on the DCRE report, the Karnataka Social Welfare Department instructed the Bengaluru Police Commissioner to file an FIR against the accused on December 9, 2024. However, delays by the police department in registering the case led to public criticism.

Following The Mooknayak’s report, civil society organizations intensified calls for swift action. On Friday December 20, under growing pressure, the FIR was finally registered, invoking stringent sections of the SC-ST Act and BNS 2023.

Sharing his opinion with The Mooknayak, Nagsen Sonare, National President of the Ambedkar Center for Justice and Peace (ACJP) said, “This is a historic moment in the history of IIMs. For the first time, a sitting director has been found practicing caste-based discrimination and committing atrocities against faculty members while marginalizing the SC-ST-OBC student community. With the registration of an FIR, we strongly urge the Karnataka Police to immediately arrest Director Dr. Rishikesha T. Krishnan and the seven other faculty members involved in these atrocities against Dr. Gopal Das. This sends a clear and powerful message to all IITs, IIMs, NITs, IISc, and other central universities: the SC-ST-OBC communities will no longer tolerate such atrocities. We are ready to fight back in every single case of caste discrimination against faculty, staff, and students. Justice is not negotiable.”