1.6 Cr Rs For Palak Paneer: How Indians Won In US?

In an interesting story, an Indian couple ended up winning ₹1.6 crore in compensation over a Palak paneer. Let us have a look into this allocated story that last date nearly 2 years and ended up making an Indian couple very rich.

An unusual dispute over food smell at a US university has ended with an Indian couple receiving a settlement of nearly ₹1.6 crore, drawing wide attention online.

The incident took place at the University of Colorado Boulder, where an Indian PhD student was stopped from using a microwave after a staff member complained about the smell of his homemade lunch, palak paneer.

The student later claimed that the confrontation was humiliating and discriminatory. According to the couple, the issue did not end there. They alleged that after the incident, university staff members began targeting them, creating a hostile environment.

The situation worsened when the student’s partner, also a PhD scholar, reportedly lost her teaching assistant role without any prior explanation.

Believing their cultural identity was being unfairly singled out, the couple decided to take legal action against the university, citing violations of civil rights and discrimination. The case gained attention as an example of how cultural differences can escalate into serious institutional conflicts.

After a prolonged legal process, the university agreed to a settlement of USD 200,000. As part of the agreement, the couple received their academic degrees and later returned to India. The case has since sparked debate on cultural sensitivity, inclusivity, and how universities handle diversity on campus.