Indian couple wins S$256,323 lawsuit against US uni after staff calls palak paneer lunch 'pungent'

An Indian couple at the University of Colorado, Boulder in the U.S., won a US$200,000 (S$256,323) civil lawsuit against the institution over a "food racism" incident.

Incident

According to BBC, the couple faced a series of microaggressions and retaliatory actions after an incident involving a microwave and a lunch of palak paneer in September 2023.

A British staff member at the university had reportedly objected to the man, Aditya Prakash, microwaving the north Indian dish, complaining that it had a "pungent" odour.

The staff member also claimed that there was a rule against heating foods with strong odours in that microwave, but Prakesh argued that the rule was not mentioned anywhere.

When he later enquired about what foods were considered pungent, he was told that curry was amongst them, while sandwiches were not.

Lawsuit

Following the incident, Prakesh and his fiancée, Urmi Bhattacheryya, both PhD students at the university, lost their research funding, teaching roles and PhD advisers that they had worked with for months.

The couple filed a civil lawsuit in May 2025, alleging they had faced discriminatory treatment and a "pattern of escalating retaliation", reported BBC.

The lawsuit was settled in September 2025, with the university agreeing to give the couple their degrees but denying all liabilities.

Prakesh and Bhattacheryya were also banned from studying or working at the university in the future.

The institution told BBC that it has since worked to rebuild trust among students and faculty.

It added that it took the allegations seriously and held accountable "individuals who are determined to be responsible for violating university policies".

Food racism

The incident gained significant media coverage in India, with many attesting to having faced "food racism" in Western countries.

Prakash said he faced similar discrimination growing up in Italy, often being asked to sit apart from his classmates because of the "off-putting" smell of his food.

His lawsuit with the University of Colorado, Boulder, was not about money, but rather about "making a point", he said.

Top images via The CSR Journal & Unsplash