MIT suspends PhD student over pro-Palestine essay
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has suspended Prahlad Iyengar, a PhD student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, until January 2026 following the publication of a pro-Palestine essay in a student magazine. This decision effectively terminates his five-year NSF fellowship and bars him from entering the campus.
The essay, titled On Pacifism, was published in the October issue of Written Revolution, a multidisciplinary student magazine. According to an email from MIT Dean of Student Life David Warren Randall to the magazine editors, the article contained imagery and language that "could be interpreted as a call for more violent or destructive forms of protest at MIT." The email also highlighted the inclusion of images such as the logo of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department.
Iyengar, who had previously faced suspension last year for participating in pro-Palestine rallies, criticised the recent action as a violation of free speech. Speaking to WBUR, he stated that the magazine was intended to "explain in our words what we were doing, why we were doing it, and what was happening on campus."
The MIT Coalition Against Apartheid has condemned the suspension, labelling it a blow to free speech. The coalition described the punishment as tantamount to expulsion due to the disruption of Iyengar's academic career and the requirement for a re-admission approval by the same disciplinary panel.
In a public petition, the coalition urged the administration to revoke or reduce the sanctions, calling on organisations and institutions to stand against what they termed the repression of student activism. They emphasised that Iyengar is appealing the decision with the Chancellor. Protests have also been launched by the coalition to pressure MIT's administration to reconsider the disciplinary action.
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Three company directors held in Rs 100-crore investment fraud in Kochi
Kochi (Kerala) (PTI): Police on Sunday arrested three directors of a firm accused of cheating hundreds of investors of over Rs 100 crore through a fake investment scheme linked to agricultural tourism here, officials said.
The accused were identified as Muraleedharan, Ashik Murali and Akhil Murali, all natives of Thrissur.
The arrests were made by the Kalamassery police in connection with a fraud involving ATCOS (Agri Tourism Cooperative Society), a firm headquartered at Pathadipalam here.
Police said the company had promised high returns by collecting investments from the public in the agricultural tourism sector, but allegedly cheated hundreds of people and fled with the money.
ATCOS was registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act and operated 13 branches across various districts in Kerala, besides a branch in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, officials said.
When investors failed to receive their promised returns or the invested amount, complaints were filed with the police.
Officials said around 54 cases have been registered against the firm in 32 police stations across the state, including 29 cases at the Kalamassery police station alone.
Following instructions from Kochi City Police Commissioner K S Mahesh Kumar, a special investigation team was formed under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shehensha and Thrikkakara ACP Manoj Kumar.
The team traced the accused to an apartment in Amala Nagar in Thrissur, where they had been hiding after secretly renting the flat, officials said.
The bank accounts of the accused have been frozen, and steps have been initiated to trace their assets, officials said.
Police also conducted a raid at the company’s office at Pathadipalam and seized several documents related to the case.
The accused were produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Kalamassery, which remanded them to judicial custody and sent them to Kakkanad jail.
Police said they would seek the custody of the accused for further interrogation as the investigation continues.
