Palak Paneer, a Microwave, and a Lawsuit: How Indian Students Won Rs 1.8 Crore in US

Two Indian doctoral students at the University of Colorado Boulder in the United States have secured a civil rights settlement worth $200,000, approximately Rs 1.8 crore, after a dispute over heating Indian food escalated into allegations of discrimination and retaliation.

The case, which began with a complaint over the smell of palak paneer, ended with a financial settlement, the awarding of academic degrees, and the students' decision to leave the US permanently.

Palak paneer incident that sparked the dispute

The episode dates back to September 5, 2023, when Aditya Prakash, now 34 and then a PhD student in the university's Anthropology Department, was heating his lunch of palak paneer in a departmental microwave. According to Prakash, a female staff member objected to the "smell" of the food and asked him not to use the microwave.

"The smell was pungent, she said," Prakash told The Indian Express. He said he calmly refused to comply, pointing out that it was a shared space and that he was simply heating his food before leaving.

"My food is my pride. And notions about what smells good or bad to someone are culturally determined," Prakash said. He added that a facilities member later argued that even broccoli was prohibited because of its strong odour. "I replied that context matters. 'How many groups of people do you know who face racism because they eat broccoli?'"

Alleged retaliation and academic consequences

What followed the kitchen incident, Prakash alleged, was a pattern of harassment and retaliation by the department. He said he was repeatedly called into meetings with senior faculty, accused of making staff members "feel unsafe", and reported to the Office of Student Conduct, despite being a fully funded PhD scholar at the time.

Prakash's partner, Urmi Bhattacheryya, now 35, who was also pursuing her PhD at the university, supported him during the dispute. She claimed she was fired from her teaching assistant position without any explanation after backing Prakash.

Bhattacheryya further alleged that when she, Prakash, and three other students brought Indian food to campus two days after the initial incident, they were accused of "inciting a riot". She said those complaints were later dismissed.

"The department also refused to grant us master's degrees that PhD students are awarded en route to the PhD. That's when we decided to seek legal recourse," Prakash said.

Lawsuit alleges systemic bias against South Asian students

In their lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Prakash and Bhattacheryya alleged that the university's response to the food dispute reflected deeper systemic bias against international and South Asian students.

The lawsuit challenged the department's kitchen policies, arguing that they had a "disproportionate and discriminatory impact" on South Asian students and discouraged them from eating their cultural food in shared spaces. The couple also said the treatment caused them emotional distress, mental anguish, and severely hampered their academic progress.

The students filed their federal civil rights lawsuit in May 2025. By the time the settlement was reached, they said they had no desire to return to the US due to visa uncertainty and fear of further retaliation.

"I don't see myself going back," Prakash said.

Settlement, degrees awarded, and decision to leave the US

In September 2025, the University of Colorado Boulder settled the case by paying the two $200,000 and formally conferring their master's degrees. However, as part of the settlement, both were barred from future enrolment or employment at the university.

Prakash, who is from Bhopal, and Bhattacheryya, from Kolkata, said pursuing PhDs in the US had been a major financial commitment for them. "We put all our savings into it," Prakash said, adding that their first year at the university passed without any issues, with grants awarded and Bhattacheryya's research receiving positive feedback.

Bhattacheryya linked their experience to a broader pattern in the US. "Institutions talk about inclusion, but there is less patience for discomfort, especially when it comes from immigrants or people of colour," she told The Indian Express. "The message wasn't always explicit, but it was there: you are here conditionally, and you can be made to feel that very quickly."

Bhattacheryya's message and university response

After the settlement, Bhattacheryya shared a detailed post on Instagram reflecting on the legal battle and its toll.

"This year, I fought a fight - a fight for the freedom to eat what I want and to protest at will... no matter the colour of my skin, my ethnic extraction or the unflinchingly unchanged Indian accent," she wrote.

"I endured startling health reversals I'd never encountered before. The steady chipping away at, and eroding of, a self-respect and confidence I'd always jealously safeguarded... I will not be humbled by injustices. I will not be silent in the face of deliberate upheavals. I will certainly kowtow to no one."

In a statement to The Indian Express, University of Colorado Boulder spokesperson Deborah Mendez-Wilson said the university had reached a settlement but denied any wrongdoing. "The university denies any liability. CU Boulder has established processes to address allegations of discrimination and harassment and adhered to those processes in this matter," she said, adding that the institution remains committed to fostering an inclusive environment.

According to The Indian Express, 29 students from the Anthropology Department also issued a statement supporting Prakash and Bhattacheryya, criticising what they described as a harmful response to discriminatory food policies and stating that diversity should be not just tolerated, but celebrated.