Indian-Origin Professor in U.S. Accused of Using Students as Servants

Dozens of students of an Indian-origin pharmacy professor, Ashim Mitra, of Kansas city have accused him of using them as his personal servants.

“The Star found that over Mitra’s 24 years as a leader in the UKMC School of Pharmacy, the professor compelled his students to act as his personal servants. They hauled equipment and bused tables at his social events,” said The Kansas City Star.

These students were directed to tend his lawn, take care of his dog and water the plants. Sometimes, this duty used to be expanded for weeks when Mitra and his wife were away, added the report.

Kamesh Kuchimanchi, one of the complainants, told the paper, “I considered my life at UMKC nothing more than modern slavery.”

He recalled the experiences when he was directed to bail putrid water from Mitra’s basement after heavy rain. He also expressed his annoyance that he had to serve food at the professor’s Indian cultural celebration off the campus.

He also said that one day when he had told Mitra straight away that he will no longer do domestic chores for him, Mitra threatened him that he will be kicked out of the University and lose visa.

Other students also echoed similar fears citing Mitra’s influential status. A woman, who graduated in 2013 also told the publication that students feared that they will not be able to complete their graduation if they raised their voice against Mitra or refuse to work for him.

It is not the first time such allegations are coming out against Mitra. Some of his former colleagues told the paper that they saw students performing menial tasks off the campus for Mitra.

Mridul Mukherji, who was one of his colleagues, has sued Mitra and University officials by filing two lawsuits. These lawsuits have claimed that “Mitra mistreated vulnerable foreign students and that the university retaliated against Mukherji when he complained.”

However, the University’s Executive Vice Chancellor Barbara A. Bichelmeyer responded to questions raised by The Star by saying, “The complaint was looked into, repeated efforts were made to contact all students identified by Dr. Mukherji, but no students substantiated the claims, and no formal action could be taken under the university’s policies and regulations that were in place at the time.”

Mitra also issued a statement saying that he used to invite students to his home only for work related to their course and students used to eat meals prepared by his wife.

“I have not required anyone to perform chores unrelated to their studies,” the publication quoted him as saying in a statement.

“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 added.