Indian students receive $200,000 payout after university staff member complains about ‘pungent’ food
University students given $200k over ‘pungent’ lunch complaint
- An Indian doctoral student, Aditya Prakash, received a settlement of over $200,000 from the University of Colorado Boulder after a dispute over the smell of his packed Indian lunch escalated into a civil rights lawsuit.
- The incident began in September 2023 when a staff member complained about the “pungent” smell of Prakash's palak paneer, leading to a rule being cited against “strong odour” foods in the department microwave.
- Prakash and his partner, Urmi Bhattacheryya, who was also a doctoral student, faced disciplinary action, including the loss of their PhD supervisors and funding, after they challenged the perceived discrimination.
- The couple filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in September 2025, alleging discrimination and retaliation, which the university settled four months later while denying liability.
- As part of the settlement, Prakash and Bhattacheryya received Master's degrees but were barred from future enrolment or employment at the university, effectively ending their academic careers there.