Dismissed professor faces harassment charges in court

Friday, April 25, 2014
Akshat Vyas

A 40-year-old recently fired DePauw University professor, banned from campus and ordered to have no contact with his estranged wife or son, made his initial appearance in court Friday morning.

Akshat Vyas, who faces two Class B misdemeanor charges of harassment, remains in the Putnam County Jail on a U.S. Department of Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) hold after having a not-guilty plea entered on his behalf by Putnam Superior Court Judge Denny Bridges.

The defendant's attorney, Scott Bienick, explained that Vyas has been in the U.S. on a work visa and expected to be leaving the country shortly, noting that his wife, Soma Dixit, and son would have to return with him to India since they were here as part of his work visa.

Bienick said he understood the situation involved Vyas allegedly making a single phone call to his estranged wife.

That, however, was disputed first by Deputy Prosecutor Jim Ensley and then by Judge Bridges, who noted that the protective order was precipitated by "dozens" of phone calls, texts, voicemails and emails that evolved into the harassment charges.

Vyas was arrested by Greencastle City Police Officer Ed Wilson at 1:15 p.m. Thursday after authorities spotted his black 2010 Nissan on campus and stopped the SUV on Vine Street after a search that involved several police units.

Attorney Bienick expressed concern to the court that police needed "eight or nine officers to serve the warrant" on Vyas, adding "you would have thought he was a serial killer or something."

The original invasion of privacy/harassment investigation was conducted by GPD Sgt. Charles Inman after the defendant reportedly sent "menacing and harassing" communication to a DePauw professor in whose home Vyas' estranged wife and child have been staying.

Vyas was terminated at DePauw on April 18, reportedly after violating the terms of a resulting suspension in which he was prohibited from entering university property or communicating with any students.

Sgt. Inman's narrative concerning the incident indicated "there is a deep concern that Akshat Vyas may attempt to harm his estranged wife and/or abduct the child (either from their Sycamore Street home or Deer Meadow Primary School) and flee the United States."

It appeared as though Vyas would be released on his own recognizance late Friday morning as Deputy Prosecutor Ensley suggested that would be possible as long as the defendant "understood the non-contact order" against him.

However, moments later, jail officials noted that an INS hold was in place for Vyas, who remained in the county jail Friday night.

A pretrial conference in the case was set for June 11.

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  • DePauw hires all the good ones

    -- Posted by becker on Sat, Apr 26, 2014, at 11:28 AM
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