Nepali student at Bhubaneswars KIIT found dead in hostel room; students accuse varsity of cover-up, mishandling
Students claimed that Nepali students are being forcibly asked to leave campus
PTC Web Desk: The Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, witnessed large-scale protests on Monday following the suspected suicide of Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year B.Tech student from Nepal, inside her hostel room on Sunday evening.
The demonstrators, including several Nepali students, accused the university of mishandling the situation and alleged a cover-up. They claimed that Nepali students were being forcibly asked to leave the campus, sparking demands for a transparent investigation.
Friends of Prakriti alleged that she was driven to suicide due to harassment by her former boyfriend, Advik Srivastava. Her brother lodged a police complaint, leading to Advik's arrest under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for abetment of suicide.
Hundreds of students rallied on campus, chanting "We Want Justice" and accusing the administration of downplaying the incident. Video clips circulating on social media appeared to show heated exchanges between students and university officials.
KIIT issued a statement confirming the student's death and suggested that relationship issues might have contributed to the incident. The administration also announced the closure of the campus to all international students from Nepal, instructing them to vacate the premises.
The decision was met with resistance, as students argued they were given little time to arrange travel back to Nepal. Meanwhile, increased police presence on campus aimed to maintain order as tensions escalated.