WASHINGTON: The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) has dismissed a caste discrimination case against two Indian-origin Cisco engineers, a decision welcomed by the American Hindu community.
The two Cisco engineers Sundar Iyer and Ramana Kompella were accused of harassing a colleague due to his caste.
“Two Indian-Americans endured a nearly three-year nightmare of unending investigations and a presumption of guilt in the media that they engaged in discrimination based on caste,” said Suhag Shukla, executive director of Hindu American Foundation (HAF).
The HAF filed a claim in US District Court asserting that CRD’s case against Cisco and the engineers infringed on the civil rights of Hindus living in California by “unconstitutionally and falsely” asserting that Hinduism mandates caste discrimination.