The Director and faculty members of the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore (IIMB) have been granted a stay order on proceedings following a complaint filed by Dr. Gopal Das, an associate professor of marketing, alleging caste-based discrimination and humiliation. The interim stay order, passed by Justice Hemant Chandangoudar, addresses the Karnataka Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes (Reservation of Appointment etc.) Rules, 1992, which states that the Directorate of Caste Certificates (DCRE) has no authority to investigate harassment claims involving Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes unless the caste certificate is obtained fraudulently. The court noted that the notice issued by DCRE “prima facie lacks authority.”
The stay order applies to Prof. Rishikesha T. Krishnan (Director), Prof. Dinesh Kumar (Dean-Faculty), and other faculty members, including Prof. Sreelata Jonnalagedda, Prof. Rahul De, Prof. Ashis Mishra, and Prof. Chetan Subramanian. Additionally, a stay order for Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairman of the Board of Governors at IIMB, was passed on July 18. The petitioners have questioned the legitimacy of the entire proceedings initiated by the DCRE following Dr. Gopal Das’s complaint.
The high court has adjourned the case for further hearing to the second week of January 2025. Meanwhile, the director and other faculty members, who have been named in the First Information Report (FIR) in connection with the case, have moved the court to challenge the registration of the FIR, though this petition is yet to be heard.
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