Infosys co-founder Senapathy Kris Gopalakrishnan received support from prominent industry leaders like Mohandas Pai and Gopal Srinivasan after being named, along with 17 others, in an FIR under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The Bengaluru Police registered the case following a complaint by D. Sanna Durgappa, a former faculty member of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), who alleged caste-based discrimination and systemic harassment.
Durgappa, an assistant professor at the Centre for Sustainable Technology at IISc and a member of the tribal Bovi community, alleged that he faced casteist abuse and threats from the institute’s administration, which culminated in his dismissal in 2014. According to him, the harassment began after he sought research funds under the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan.
Durgappa’s complaint further claimed that he was falsely implicated in a honey trap case as retaliation for his caste discrimination allegations. An inquiry into the matter, which he describes as biased, led to his dismissal. A 2017 Karnataka Legislative Assembly Committee investigation reportedly found no evidence to support the allegations against Durgappa and suggested that he was targeted due to his Dalit identity. Despite assurances from the committee that he would be reinstated, Durgappa claims the institute failed to act on the recommendation.
The FIR was filed at the Sadashivanagar police station under the directives of the 71st City Civil and Sessions Court. The accused include several senior IISc officials, such as former director Balaram P and board members, including Gopalakrishnan.
Mohandas Pai, former Chief Financial Officer of Infosys, criticized the charges, advocating for fairness in the legal process. In a social media post, Pai wrote, “This is very wrong. The government should ensure that innocent people on governing boards are not wrongly charged. The rights of all should be protected.” He tagged key figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, calling for their intervention.
Gopal Srinivasan, Chairman of TVS Capital Funds, expressed similar concerns. “This action is not only saddening and disappointing but, in an odd way, creates a mockery of the noble intentions of the SC/ST Act,” he said.