An Oakland University professor was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years of GPS-tethered probation for stalking a former female student today.

Srinarayan Sharma, 43, was charged with a misdemeanor at the 52-3 District Court in Rochester in front of his wife and family. He recently pled no contest at a competency hearing on June 13.

Judge Julie Nicholson was given a copy of a statement from the former student which included several requests that were acknowledged, including some jail time, maximum probation while on a tether and mental health therapy for the former associate professor of management information systems in the school of business administration.

Sharma’s attorney, Jerome Sabbota, argued against the requests, saying Sharma couldn’t comply to the former student’s wishes if sent to jail. He also stated that Sharma has no previous record and what happened with the student was in result of mental issues.

According to his attorney, Sharma was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression.

During the hearing, Sharma claimed he was unaware that he was stalking the former student and did not know he “was stalking her at that point in time.” He also stated that he never wanted to threaten her.

In addition to jail time, probation and mental health therapy requests, Sharma is required to pay fines of $1,000 and any restitution requested by the former student. He’s also not permitted to be within a one-mile radius of her, nor can he consume any alcohol or controlled substances or be in possession of any weapons. He was directed to have absolutely no contact with the former student and all out-of-state travel requests are “unnecessary for safety.”

“There’s no purpose to put him in jail other than to punish him,” Sabbota said. “(The prosector) is just playing a normal game so she looks good.”

Sharma has been suspended with pay from the university since the case started. It is unconfirmed if he will continue teaching at OU.

“Once a sentence has been pronounced and the punishment has been decided, the university has to review employment,” Ted Montgomery, director of media relations at OU, said. “Right now, no decision has been made, but it will be made soon.”

Sharma was accused of stalking the female after the OU Police Department was approached by the female in January. He was accused of sending emails that included him asking her to kill his wife and children and provided pictures to help identify them.

— Managing Visual Editor Kaitlyn Chornoby contributed to this report