Indian couple wins lawsuit over paneer 'smell'; awarded ₹1.8cr
What's the story
Two Indian PhD students at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) have been awarded a $200,000 (approximately ₹1.8 crore) civil rights settlement after facing discrimination over their food choice. The lawsuit was triggered by an incident in September 2023 when Aditya Prakash was told by a female staff member not to heat his palak paneer lunch in the department's microwave due to its "pungent" smell. "The smell was pungent, she said," Prakash quoted the staff as saying.
What happened
'My food is my pride'
Speaking to the Indian Express, he said he tried to argue that it was a common space and that he, too, had the right to use it. "And notions about what smells good....bad to someone are culturally determined," Prakash said. As an example, he stated that one of the facility members tried to explain that even broccoli heating was prohibited due to the overwhelming odor. "I replied that context matters....'do you know who face racism because they eat broccoli?'"
Lawsuit details
Discrimination claims and retaliation
Prakash, who was pursuing his PhD in the Anthropology Department, stated that he was regularly summoned to meetings with senior professors after being accused of making a staff member "feel unsafe." His partner, Urmi Bhattacheryya, also a PhD student at CU Boulder, supported him in raising concerns about this treatment. She alleged she was fired from her teaching assistant position without explanation. "The department also refused to grant us Master's degrees....That's when we decided to seek legal recourse," Prakash said.
Case resolution
University response and settlement
In their lawsuit, Prakash and Bhattacheryya alleged that the university's actions were a form of "systemic bias" against international students. They said the "discriminatory treatment and ongoing retaliation" resulted in "emotional distress, mental anguish, and pain and suffering." The case was settled in September 2025 with CU Boulder paying $200,000 to the couple and conferring their master's degrees on them. However, they are barred from future enrollment or employment at the university.
Official statement
University denies liability, affirms commitment to inclusivity
University spokesperson Deborah Mendez-Wilson said, "The university reached an agreement with the plaintiffs and denies any liability." She added that CU Boulder has processes in place to address discrimination and harassment allegations. "The university has established processes to address allegations of discrimination and harassment, and it adhered to those processes in this matter. CU Boulder remains committed to fostering an inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff," Indian Express quoted Mendez-Wilson's statement.