Poddar returned to India, soon to leave for Germany where he is said to remain, with a good Bengali wife and a daughter. The courts found him guilty, brushing aside all pleas of mental instability or temporary insanity. The police checked up on him but found him docile and biddable. In Ireland the defendant shot and killed his wife. His therapist wanted to commit him to hospital, but Poddar convinced campus police he was not dangerous. Does a Tarasoff warning only apply when a patients threatens death or serious injury? St Michael’s School, in 1995; he passed out of wholly Bengali-medium government-run Balurghat High School in 1962. This undated photo shows Ashley Hasti, left, and Mainak Sarkar. Sure, he must have been unhinged but the triggers for the imbalance could well lie in the desperation to belong in an alien culture. The legal case was brought by the Tarasoff family after their daughter, Tatiana Tarasoff, was murdered by Prosenjit Poddar, who had received psychological services in the university counseling center. I have just finished reading BAD KARMA which was authored by a fellow student at Berkeley at the same time. On October 27, 1969, Poddar confronted Tatiana Tarasoff at her home. There is so much of Sarkar’s life in America that is as yet unknown. At Berkeley, he met Tatiana Tarasoff at a folk dancing class. But the effect on Prosenjit was electric. If mental health professionals could in any way, shape, or form, guarantee the success of their treatment, I might consider their arguments against the Tarasoff warning valid. The story begins in 1968 when Prosenjit Poddar, an Indian graduate student at UC Berkeley, met Tatiana Tarasoff while she was attending folk dancing classes at the International House, which is where Poddar lived. Simply telling a potentially violent patient that threats are taken seriously and that the therapist is willing to make that extra effort to defuse the risk of violence can make a difference. Prosenjit Poddar, a grad student at Berkeley, becomes obsessed with an un-dergrad acquaintance. If we can involuntarily commit a patient who has suicidal ideation with plans to kill themselves, why wouldn't we take a threat to human life seriously in any case? No wonder so many NRIs still look to their homeland for a reaffirmation of their success and status in society, why they are so eager to open up their hearts and wallets for a leader who they reckon will make India great again and stand up to other world leaders including those of their adopted country, why they welcome Narendra Modi on his every trip to Yankee land as a conquering hero. Even in cases where the threat of violence is imminent, therapists can encourage patients to seek immediate hospitalization as a voluntary patient or otherwise persuade them to see a psychiatrist for medication. One can only imagine the shock Prosenjit Poddar, who had known only Balurghat and Kharagpur till then, both small towns, more rural than urban, must have felt when he stepped into Berkeley of the Sixties. A book on such a tragedy must already be in the making. While the patient showed up for eight sessions, Moore then advised him that, if the death threats continued, then he would have no choice but to have Poddar hospitalized. The patient says he is going to go home tonight and just cut off the tip of her pinky (on the non-dominant hand). They saw each other about once a week until New Year's Eve, when Tanya kissed him. Why are so many people drawn to conspiracy theories in times of crisis? If a therapist decides to breach confidentiality, he or she might face a malpractice complaint from an outraged patient insisting that the threat was never serious. Now both have an opportunity to be helped. Breaching confidentiality is a serious matter and can severely undermine the trust that patients have in their therapists. At Berkeley, he met Tatiana Tarasoff at a folk dancing class. The patient says he is going to go home tonight and punch his wife in the jaw. And how does a therapist decide that? Portrayed as a battered wife by the defense and a vicious seductress by the prosecution, she was given a relatively light sentence: 25 years. Poddar returned to India, soon to leave for Germany where he is said to remain, with a good Bengali wife and a daughter. Despite attempting to plead guilty to manslaughter, Prosenjit Poddar went on trial for first-degree murder and was found guilty of second-degree murder instead. Poddar stated to the university health science psychologist that he intended to kill an unnamed woman, who was identified as Tatiana Tarasoff. It is likely that Mainak Sarkar’s Indian friends will be as protective of him as Prosenjit Poddar’s contemporary Indian students at Berkeley are of him. A new punishment hearing is set for October. Both went to the engineers’ mecca, the United States of America, and to two of the best institutions there, he to Stanford in 2001, he to the University of California, Berkeley, in 1967. Come on! He studied aerospace engineering in IIT Kharagpur, the 2000 batch; he too studied at IIT Kharagpur, naval architecture, 1967 batch. Despite his promise, Prosenjit Poddar continued the stalking behaviour. The Americans decided to cut their losses. But America hasn’t forgotten Prosenjit Poddar. February 7, 1974.] About two months later, in October of 1969, Tatiana returned to California from Brazil, and Poddar began following her again. No. In handing down the Tarasoff decision, the California Supreme Court argued that therapists had a special relationship with their patients which gave them a duty to control their behavior. (Opinion by Wright, C. J., with Tobriner, Mosk, Burke and Sullivan, JJ., concurring. The complaint alleges that "On or aboutAugust 20, 1969, defendant Dr. Moore notified Officers Atkinson and Teel, he would give thecampus police a letter of diagnosis on Prosenjit Poddar, so the campus police could pick upPoddar and take him to Herrick Hospital in Berkeley where Dr. Moore would assign a 72-hour Emergency Psychiatric Detention on Prosenjit Poddar." I agree that violating patient-client confidentiality does pose a threat to establishing future treatment options however where do we draw the line? He was from Durgapur, a couple of hours drive from Kolkata; he was from Balurghat, a small town in north Bengal, close to the Bangladesh border, which had no rail connection till a few years ago. While they went on several dates, they soon disagreed on the seriousness of their relationship and Poddar became obsessed with her. I believe the anger has been misdirected in this case. AP. The client's best interest is always the priority in treatment. Dr. Moore requested that the campus police detain Poddar, writing that, in his opinion, Poddar was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, acute and severe. People v. Poddar , 10 Cal.3d 750 [Crim. While Bersoff does not suggest that potentially violent patients should be allowed to endanger the public, he does argue that breaching confidentiality should only be done as a last resort. Killers who act in an impetuous moment, yet without marked psychopathic features. Tarasoff v. Regents of University of California. When Poddar denied making any death threats and assured police that he would stay away from Tarasoff, he was released and Dr. Powelson ordered all therapy notes destroyed. The student who’d been staring at Tarasoff was 22-year-old Prosenjit Poddar, a graduate student in naval architecture who lived at the I-house, worked as an inspector of marine structures, and built miniature model ships in his spare time. They will tell you how sweet he was, how soft spoken, how gentle, but when it comes to his violence against Tanya they clam up. No. But is the Tarasoff decision needed to protect life? The therapist is in such a difficult position, and they will never be fully able to determine correctly each and every time. He spent five years in a California prison, during which he finished his masters course and got the degree he had come to America for in the first place. The same precaution is owed to the victims of violent threats. 6. Prosenjit Poddar, a foreign graduate student, came to the University of California (UC), Berkeley, from Bengal, India, in 1967. Prosenjit Poddar In 1968, college student Prosenjit Poddar met Tatiana Tarasoff at a dance class in California. A therapist cannot accurate assess risk for harm (in fact, no one can) and there is no definitive way to do that. If you are so convinced of your abilities in the field, ignore the Tarasoff warning and take your chances in court. Poddar then told his therapist about wanting to kill her. On October 27, 1969, Poddar confronted Tatiana Tarasoff at her home. Mainak Sarkar, the aerospace engineer who killed himself on Thursday after shooting dead his girlfriend in Minnesota and his PhD supervisor at the University of California in Los Angeles or UCLA, could have been the 21st-century reincarnation of Prosenjit Poddar. His atrocity was not wholly in vain. Poddar seemed to Tarasoff like a kind, if intense, young man, but in fact he was unlike most every other UC Berkeley student. Shortly after Poddar's release, Tatiana Tarasoff's parents launched a civil suit against the therapists and the University of California, Berkeley. February 7, 1974.] Assimilation, integrating into the American way of life, it seems, is not for everyone, especially for Indians from protective, middle class families. Get the help you need from a therapist near you–a FREE service from Psychology Today. Not someone who had set IIT on fire but still good enough for America. Sign up for a weekly curated briefing of the most important strategic affairs stories from across the world. Tatiana Tarasoff and Prosenjit Poddar met in 1968 as students at the University of California, Berkeley. After meeting Indian graduate student, Prosenjit Poddar, at a folk dancing class, Tatiana agreed to go on several dates with him but soon called it off after getting into a disagreement over the seriousness of their relationship. Tanya had met her killer, Prosenjit Poddar, a 24-year-old graduate student from India, a year earlier. Level 6. The perpetrator, Prosenjit Poddar, was an Indian graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley who had met Tarasoff at a folk dancing class on campus. Bersoff also pointed out that warning Poddar that his threats would be reported to the police made him terminate his therapy sessions and left him more isolated than ever. The court decision based the concept of a "special relationship" between therapist and patient on the responsibility that physicians have in protecting society from dangerous patients (such as a violent patient escaping from a psychiatric hospital). But America hasn’t forgotten Prosenjit Poddar. It also means that therapists have to advise patients as soon as treatment begins about the limits of confidentiality. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison. Though the state opted not to retry the case, Poddar was deported to India where he lives in relative anonymity (and has since married). He served five years in prison until a lawyer successfully appealed the conviction. But what if therapists are required to breach confidentiality due to state or provincial laws? An attempt may still be made by the perp but if unsuccessful the perp can at least be held responsible for the attempt sparing the victim. Poddar was taken into custody but, after satisfying the officers that he was of a rational mind, was released on his promise to stay away from Tarasoff. Otherwise, therapists might face a wrongful death suit for not acting in time. There have been later cases which have modified many of the conditions of the Tarasoff decision and therapists are usually urged to seek legal advice before breaching patient confidentiality due to the complicated legal picture involved. Prosenjit Poddar, a foreign graduate student, came to the University of California (UC), Berkeley, from Bengal, India, in 1967. The grass is not always that green in faroff lands. The client may stop attending therapy but the victim has a chance to secure safety precautions. photo credit: Free-Images.com The story behind the brutal murder of Moi University student Ivy Wangeci was killed shocked the If Prosenjit Poddar’s denouement can be, as it has been, put down to culture shock, the inability to adjust to a fast paced, open society going from a country tied to the Hindu rate of growth, both economically and socially, Mainak Sarkar was the product of a liberalised India where the latest American sitcoms are beamed into sitting rooms via satellite TV. Poddar came to believe that the two were in a serious relationship, a view that was not shared by Tarasoff. I was going to make similar points that you made in your response. There was some do or the other there most Fridays, often it was an evening of folk dances where students from different countries mixed with abandon. Siddharth SARKAR, Professor (Associate) of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi (AIIMS) | Read 274 publications | Contact Siddharth SARKAR As Bersoff notes in concluding his article, therapists walk a thin line between protecting confidentiality and protecting the potential victim. In fact, the “duty to warn” was the direct outcome of Tarasoff’s savage murder in Berkeley, California in 1968. This undated photo shows Ashley Hasti, left, and Mainak Sarkar, who police say carried out a murder-suicide at the University of California, Los Angeles on Wednesday, June 1, 2016. Sometimes they went out on dates, which usually did not amount to more than having ice cream together. And, who can say, they could all be correct. He would have to be tried again. In their time together, Poddar expressed to Moore that he wanted to kill Tarasoff. The Americans decided to cut their losses. However, this case presented a very real threat, Poddar discussed methods to kill Tatiana. On October 27, 1969, Poddar confronted Tatiana Tarasoff at her home. 10 Tatiana Tarasoff & Prosenjit Poddar. IITians are particularly keen to not let anything besmirch the fair name of their alma mater. Poddar then told his therapist about wanting to kill her. Bersoff also suggested the following scenarios: When presented to his students or colleagues, Bersoff reported that he often received varied responses on how the Tarasoff law should be applied in these different situations. He also decided to appeal his case. The welfare of the public should come first, the client second. The authorities who frankly had more of a chance of saving her than anyone else did in my opinion. June 03, 2016 22:54:01 IST. After this ultimatum, Poddar stopped attending treatment and Moore was left with the question of what to do next. So did Poddar. Facts: On October 27, 1969, Prosenjit Poddar killed Tatiana Tarasoff. He also introduced her to a couple of fellow Indian students there. But Tanya obsessed him. The patient says he is going to go home tonight and scream at his wife until she cries. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Bad Karma at Amazon.com. Prosenjit Poddar was in love. As it is, there are a lot of mediocre and even bad mental health providers and, the fact is, that for the most part, their commitment to their patient lasts only as long as their insurance coverage (or their ability to pay privately). However, it's a double edged sword. On June 1, 2016, two men were killed in a murder-suicide at a School of Engineering building on the campus of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). That was until he met Tanya Tarasoff, a fellow student at the University of California, Berkley, at an international student dance on campus. Society can be as well depending on the situation, but thats not what we focus on unless there is reasonable belief that we should. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Tarasoff was no longer interested in a serious relationship thus she broke up with Poddar. I also feel that the therapist did exactly what they were supposed to do in the Tarasoff case. How I Controlled Communication With My Narcissistic Mother, Psychology Today © 2020 Sussex Publishers, LLC, 3 Simple Questions Screen for Common Personality Disorders, Research Suggests Coronavirus Causes a Storm in the Brain, What to Do About Vaccine Hesitancy During COVID-19, New Findings Reveal Benefits of Ketamine for Depression. In a 2013 presidential address by Donald N. Bersoff of Drexel University (who was then-president of the American Psychological Association), he argued that the decision is "bad law, bad social science, and bad social policy.". In 1968, college student Prosenjit Poddar met Tatiana Tarasoff at a dance class in California. Prosenjit Poddar was a patient of Dr. Lawrence Moore, a psychologist at UC Berkeley's Cowell Memorial Hospital in 1969. UCLA shooting: Answers to Mainak Sarkar mystery may lie in Prosenjit Poddar’s story. The doctor does not warn the woman and she is killed by Poddar. Mr. Poddar told his therapist, Dr. Lawrence Moore, that he wanted to kill a girl who was readily identifiable as Tatiana Tarasoff. If I miscalculate and a person ends up harmed, whether that be the client or perpetuated by the client, then I could be involved in a wrongful death suit. student at University of Berkley dated fellow student Prosenjit Poddar. Tatiana Tarasoff is a prime example of a stalking victim who did not have the proper laws in place to protect her. Supreme Court of California. Prosenjit Poddar was born into the Harijan (untouchable) caste in Bengal, India. These are questions that can never be answered. If the ground beneath his feet trembled, it was, surely, only to be expected. Example 1: In the fall of 1969, Prosenjit Poddar, a citizen of India and naval architecture student at the University of California’s Berkeley campus, shot and stabbed to death Tatiana Tarasoff, a young woman who had spurned his affections. After returning to her home, he called police. One day he went and got himself a gun and played with it in his room. Perhaps more importantly, Tarasoff laws turn therapists into agents of the state who are obliged to report on anything that might potentially lead to a crime happening. The murder of Tatiana Tarasoff by Prosenjit Poddar resulted in five published legal opinions by various California courts: Regarding the wrongful death action filed in civil court, see Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California (1973) 33 Cal.App.3d 275; Tarasoff v. Poddar interpreted … They saw each other weekly throughout the fall, and on New Year's Eve, Tanya kissed Poddar. The patient says he is going to go home tonight and slap his wife in the face. Again, like Poddar’s, Sarkar’s family too will probably believe that it was all the doing of those shameless, loose firangi hussies who entrap their innocent ladlas and lead them astray. losing jobs, yet bought a big house for his wife and three children — which he couldn't afford. Despite his promise, Prosenjit Poddar continued the stalking behaviour. Caught between his indebtedness and his monstrous pride, he decided to kill his family. 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