BHUBANESWAR: A third-year B-Tech student of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), identified as Prakriti Lamsal from Nepal, allegedly died by suicide in her hostel room, triggering unrest on campus, police said on Monday.
The student’s cousin filed a complaint at Infocity police station, alleging that she was being blackmailed by a male student from the same university, which may have led to her suicide.
In a statement, KIIT confirmed the incident, stating that the student was reportedly in a relationship with another student and may have taken the extreme step due to undisclosed reasons. The university promptly informed the police.
Bhubaneswar DCP Pinak Mishra said that a case has been registered based on allegations of abetment to suicide. The accused male student is in police custody for interrogation, while the deceased's mobile phone, laptop, and other electronic devices have been seized for investigation.
Following the incident, several Nepali students gathered on campus Sunday night, demanding justice. To ease tensions, the university authorities engaged in discussions with them. As a precautionary measure, the administration arranged for the Nepali students to return home, and the situation has since stabilized, according to KIIT.
To maintain law and order, two platoons of police personnel were deployed inside and outside the campus. The deceased student’s hostel room has been sealed, and her body remains in the mortuary awaiting her parents’ arrival.
On Monday, two buses carrying Nepali students were sent to Cuttack Railway Station. "We were asked to vacate our hostel rooms and were dropped at the station. We had exams scheduled for February 28," a student claimed.
Meanwhile, students from other states alleged they were prevented from leaving their hostels by the university’s private security guards. A video of a scuffle between students and security personnel surfaced on social media, though PTI could not verify its authenticity.
KIIT authorities declined to comment on these allegations.
'Forced eviction': Nepal student’s death at KIIT campus triggers rowThe death of a 20-year-old
Nepali student at a city education institute nearly sparked a diplomatic dispute, with Nepal’s Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli condemning the ‘forced eviction’ of his country’s students from the university and requesting India’s help to resolve the matter.
In response to PM Oli’s appeal, the Centre intervened, and the Odisha government instructed the institute to reinstate the Nepali students. Additionally, a 21-year-old student from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, was arrested for his alleged involvement in the girl’s suicide.
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