What began as a routine lunch break on a US university campus has ended as a landmark moment for Indian students abroad. A simple plate of palak paneer, heated in a common microwave, triggered a chain of events that culminated in a Rs 1.8 crore civil rights settlement, sparking global conversations on racism, cultural bias and the everyday discrimination faced by international students.

The case, involving Indian PhD scholars Aditya Prakash and Urmi Bhattacheryya, has resonated far beyond academia. It has become a symbol of how seemingly trivial acts, like policing food smells, can mask deeper prejudices, and how challenging them can come at a personal cost.

A Lunch Break that Changed Everything

In September 2023, Aditya Prakash, then a PhD student at the University of Colorado Boulder, was heating his lunch in a department microwave when a staff member objected to the “pungent smell” of his food. The dish was palak paneer, a staple in many Indian households.

According to accounts later cited in court filings, Prakash responded calmly, saying it was just food and that he was heating it before leaving. What could have ended as an awkward exchange instead escalated. Prakash alleged that he was discouraged from using common kitchen spaces and later summoned to meetings where senior faculty accused him of making staff members “feel unsafe”.

For Prakash and his partner Urmi Bhattacheryya, also a doctoral student at the time, the incident was not isolated. They argued that informal and formal kitchen rules were being applied in a way that disproportionately targeted South Asian food practices, effectively singling out Indian and other Asian students.

Allegations of Retaliation and Exclusion

The couple eventually took the matter to the United States District Court for Colorado, alleging discrimination and retaliation. In their complaint, they claimed that after Prakash raised concerns about being treated unfairly, the university’s response hardened rather than softened.

Bhattacheryya’s experience was particularly severe. She said she was removed from her teaching assistant role without explanation, a move that had serious financial and academic consequences. More alarmingly, she alleged that she was accused of “inciting a riot” after deliberately eating Indian food for two consecutive days following the palak paneer episode, an accusation she described as baseless and deeply humiliating.

The lawsuit presented a picture of a campus environment where cultural expression, even in the form of everyday food, was framed as disruptive or threatening, while complaints about discrimination were met with punitive action.

Two Years of Legal Struggle

Legal battles move slowly, and this one stretched on for nearly two years. For the students, the period was marked by stress, uncertainty and declining health. In social media posts after the settlement, Bhattacheryya spoke candidly about the toll the experience took on her mental and physical wellbeing, as well as on her sense of self-respect.

 

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A post shared by Urmi Bhattacheryya (@urmi6)

Yet she also framed the fight as necessary. In a widely shared Instagram post, she wrote about standing up for “the freedom to eat what I want, and to protest at will”, regardless of skin colour, ethnicity or accent. Her words struck a chord with thousands of Indian students and professionals abroad who saw their own experiences reflected in her story.

In September 2025, the standoff finally ended. The University of Colorado Boulder agreed to pay Prakash and Bhattacheryya USD 200,000, roughly Rs 1.8 crore, and to award them their Master’s degrees. However, the settlement came with a significant caveat. The couple would be barred from future enrolment or employment at the university. Soon after, they returned to India.

University Response and Denial of Liability

While confirming the settlement, the university was careful to deny any wrongdoing. A spokesperson stated that the institution has established procedures to handle allegations of discrimination and harassment and that those processes were followed in this case. The settlement, the university maintained, did not amount to an admission of liability.

Such statements are common in civil rights cases, but they have done little to quiet criticism. For many observers, the fact that the case ended in a substantial payout and degree conferral suggests that the students’ claims could not be dismissed lightly.

The episode has also raised uncomfortable questions for US universities that publicly champion diversity and inclusion, yet struggle to accommodate cultural differences in everyday campus life.

Social Media, Solidarity and the Smell Debate

Once news of the settlement went viral, it spread rapidly across Indian social media platforms. Users congratulated the couple and framed the outcome as a victory not just for them, but for international students who have long felt pressured to dilute or hide their cultural identities.

Some responses leaned on humour. “Going to celebrate this with more palak paneer,” one user wrote. Others were more pointed, asking why foods like cheese, burgers or pizza rarely attract complaints, while curries and spices are often labelled offensive. One widely shared comment captured the mood in Hinglish: “Palak paneer ka sharp smell nahi aaya toh kya khaaya? The smell is aroma for us.”

Behind the jokes lies a serious issue. Food is deeply tied to identity, comfort and belonging, especially for students living far from home. Policing its smell can feel less like a neutral preference and more like a demand to assimilate.

A Case that Goes Beyond One Campus

The palak paneer lawsuit has become shorthand for a broader debate about whose cultures are treated as normal in shared spaces and whose are viewed as inconveniences. For Indian students heading abroad in record numbers, it also serves as a cautionary tale about the vulnerabilities they face and the cost of speaking up.

For Prakash and Bhattacheryya, the fight ended with a settlement rather than a return to campus. Yet their case has already left a mark, forcing institutions to reflect on how everyday biases play out through policies, language and power structures. Sometimes, it turns out, a microwave and a lunchbox are enough to put prejudice on trial.

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