Indian origin professor in US accused of using students as 'servants'
New York, Nov 20 (IBNS): An Indian-origin professor of the University of Missouri-Kansas City has been accused of exploiting his students and even using them as servants, media reports said.
Mitra has been working as the pharmacy professor at the US university for a long time now.
The Kansas City Star reported that over Mitra’s 24 years as a leader in the UMKC School of Pharmacy, the professor compelled his students to act as his personal servants. They hauled equipment and bused tables at his social events. They were expected to tend his lawn, look after his dog and water the house plants, sometimes for weeks at a time when he and his wife were away.
Through Mitra’s hints and direct threats, students said they feared he would have their visas revoked if they did not comply with his demands, reported the American newspaper.
As per the newspaper report, "According to allegations in pending litigation, the university not only knew about Mitra’s behavior, but administrators overlooked complaints for years because Mitra was among the most successful faculty members in corralling millions in research dollars for the school. "
Former Indian student Kamesh Kuchimanchi recalled his experience with Mitra and told the newspaper that his life in the university was nothing more than 'modern slavery'.
When Kuchimanchi once told Mitra he wouldn’t be a servant, “he threatened to kick me out of the university and force me to lose my visa and lose everything. That was his ammo. Either fall in line or you would be thrown out. You didn’t want to be in that situation where you have to go back home empty-handed.”
Court documents obtained by The Kansas City Star show that after one colleague filed a formal complaint, the university investigated. The probe involved talking to only one student, court documents say. The official in charge now says that “in hindsight” the investigation could have been done differently.
Meanwhile, Mridul Mukherji, another pharmacy school professor from India, has sued Mitra and university officials.
Mukherji has filed two related lawsuits in Jackson County Circuit Court in 2016 and 2018.
The lawsuits claim that Mitra mistreated vulnerable foreign students and that the university retaliated against Mukherji when he complained, reported the US-based newspaper.
Mitra, meanwhile, denied all allegations leveled against him and said he never asked anyone to perform chores unrelated to their studies.
“Over the years, I have invited graduate students to my home where they have done work related to their courses of study, and at times eaten meals prepared by my wife,” he wrote in his statement available with The Kansas City Star.
“I have not required anyone to perform chores unrelated to their studies," he said.
“I do not understand the suggestion that anyone was concerned with their visas being at risk. I have worked with over 60 graduate students attending UMKC on F1 (study) visas, and I am not aware of any of those students having their visa status challenged or revoked," he said.
Image: University of Missouri-Kansas City website
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