New Delhi:

As a university in Odisha was celebrating its three-day annual fest, a student’s body was discovered in her hostel room. Within hours, the discovery led to embassy-level talks between two countries. The death of Prakriti Lamsal, a 20-year-old Nepali student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar set off a storm of allegations, arrests, diplomatic unease, and student unrest. 

What Happened 

Prakriti, a third-year B.Tech (Computer Science) student, was found dead in her hostel room on Sunday afternoon. The police initially registered it as a case of suicide, but the circumstances surrounding her death triggered protests within the campus. 

Students from Nepal demanded an inquiry and accountability from the university administration whom they accuse of ignoring Prakriti’s requests for intervention. Prakriti was allegedly being subjected to both physical and verbal abuse by Advik Shrivastava, a 21-year-old BTech (Mechanical) student of the same university. In an audio file, which went viral after Prakriti’s body was discovered, a man can be heard unleashing an expletives-ridden tirade against a woman who can be heard sobbing. The man forces the woman to call herself a “wh*r*” and even manipulates an apology out of her. 

The audio features both individuals addressing each other as Advik and Prakriti, however, NDTV could not independently verify the clip. 

Advik, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow, was arrested on Monday from outside Bhubaneswar’s airport and charged with abetment of suicide.

Prakriti’s body, after a post-mortem at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, has been handed over to her family. It will be flown to Nepal today. “I had sent my daughter for higher studies, trusting that she would be safe. What happened here is unacceptable,” said her father, Sunil Lamsal.

Students Manhandled

After Nepali students protested, KIIT University — founded and run by veteran Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and former MP Achyuta Samanta — instead of engaging with the students, responded with force. Security personnel, along with senior university officials, allegedly manhandled protesting students, leading to a violent crackdown that was caught on camera. 

Videos circulated on social media showed students being physically assaulted and subjected to verbal abuse. In one of those videos, two senior university officials were also seen making derogatory remarks against Nepal, with one of them claiming that the country’s GDP is lower than KIIT’s budget for the roughly 40,000 students that the university caters to. 

#WATCH | Odisha: A https://t.co/jHgpcuG1h1 third-year girl student from Nepal was found dead in KIIT University (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology) hostel in Bhubaneswar on 16th February. As per a notice issued by the University, the institute is hence closed sine die… pic.twitter.com/vVfgY140up

— ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2025

The protests continued overnight. Then the unexpected happened. With only days left for exams, all the Nepali students were told to leave the university premises. 

“The University is closed Sine Die for all the International students from Nepal. They are hereby directed to vacate the university campus immediately today on 17th February 2025,” a university statement read. 

The students were put on university buses and were sent packing to the railway station in Cuttack to fend for themselves. “They (KIIT) didn’t say anything, they just asked us to leave,” said one Nepali student. 

Odisha Government Steps In

The Odisha government on Tuesday formed a three-member fact-finding committee to investigate both the circumstances of Prakriti’s death and the university’s handling of student protests. The panel is led by the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), with members from the Higher Education and Women and Child Development departments.

State Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj admitted that KIIT authorities had failed to inform the government about the incident, including the forced eviction of foreign students. “The institution has been placed under notice, and appropriate legal and administrative action shall follow based on the findings of the fact-finding committee,” he said.

Mr Suraj questioned why Nepali students were de-boarded at Cuttack railway station and why the state government was kept in the dark about the unfolding crisis. He said that while around 100 Nepali students remain on campus, nearly 800 others have left for Nepal.

Arrests and Legal Action

Including Advik, the Odisha Police have made six arrests in connection with both the student’s death and the violence against protesters. Among those detained are three senior university officials-Director General (HR) Sibananda Mishra, Director (Administration) Pratap Kumar Chamupaty, and Director of Hostels Sudhir Kumar Rath. Two security guards, Jogendra Behera and Ramakanta Nayak, were also arrested for their role in the violent crackdown.

Two separate cases have been filed. The first concerns the suicide and was registered based on a complaint from Prakriti’s cousin. The second was initiated by the police, following viral videos of security personnel assaulting students.

Apologies and Diplomatic Fallout

One KIIT faculty member, Manjusha Pandey, was heard claiming in the viral videos that KIIT “feeds and educates over 40,000 students for free,” an amount she suggested was equivalent to Nepal’s national budget. Another staff member, Jayanti Nath, was recorded shouting similar statements.

Both Ms Pandey and Ms Nath later issued public apologies. “My statements were made in the heat of the moment,” Ms Pandey said in a video message. “If my words hurt the sentiments of any Nepali students or people of Nepal, I sincerely apologise.”

@MEAIndia@PM_nepal_@DrSJaishankar@PMOIndia@MofaNepal@IndiaInNepal@EONIndia pic.twitter.com/zPsRL0wNm8

— Jayanti Nath (@JayantiNath6) February 18, 2025

KIIT also issued an apology and removed two of its officials from service, though it did not name them. The institute urged Nepali students to return to their hostels and resume their studies.

The Nepalese government, however, has not taken the issue lightly. In a strongly worded statement, it warned that it might suspend issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for students seeking admission to universities in Odisha if the matter was not resolved in a “justifiable and legal way.”

Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli personally intervened, stating that his government was handling the matter through diplomatic channels. “Our Embassy in New Delhi has dispatched officers to counsel affected students,” he announced.

The Nepalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the incident “unimaginable” and assured that it was in continuous contact with the Indian government and KIIT authorities. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu also pledged to ensure the safety of Nepali students in India.

Political Fallout In Odisha

The controversy quickly turned into a political flashpoint in Odisha. The Congress party has demanded a judicial inquiry, while the ruling BJP – which came to power in Odisha for the first time in history after their shock win over the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD in the Assembly elections last year –  has called for the arrest of KIIT founder Achyuta Samanta. The BJD, in turn, has blamed the incident on deteriorating law and order under the BJP-led state government.

The issue was also raised in the Odisha Assembly, with MLAs across party lines condemning the incident. “The developments at KIIT have brought a bad name to the state, and this cannot be tolerated,” a Congress MLA said during the debate.

Kolkata:

The five persons arrested in connection with the forcible eviction of Nepali students from hostels at Odisha’s Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology or KIIT, have got bail. 

The arrested persons included Sibananda Mishra (59), Director General, HR, Pratap Kumar Chamupaty (51), Director (Administration), and Sudhir Kumar Rath (59), Director of Hostels, at KIIT University, and two security guards- Ramakanta Nayak (45), and Jogendra Behera (25).

The arrests came days after protests by Nepali students following the death of a Nepali student, Prakriti Lamsal.

Prakriti Lamsal. was found dead in her hostel room on February 16. Students claimed she was being harassed by a fellow student. As talks with the protesters failed, they were ordered to vacate the hostel.

Then men arrested allegedly came and tried to hurry them and in the process, manhandled some of the students. 

There were also allegations that the students were dropped them at Cuttack railway station without any arrangements being made for their travel.

“The administration made extensive efforts, engaging in counselling and discussions for over 10 hours to manage the situation peacefully. However, despite their best attempts, some protestors were unwilling to listen to the university authorities and continued to create disruptions, posing a challenge to law and order. They also blocked the main road for hours, causing inconvenience and escalating tensions,” the institute later said. 

Another student, Advik Srivastava, meanwhile has been arrested and accused of abeting Lamsal’s suicide. The third year BTech student is in judicial custody.

The Odisha government has set up a high-level fact-finding committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.

New Delhi:

The Indian Embassy in Nepal assured thorough investigation into the alleged suicide of a Nepal woman student at Odisha’s Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), urging them to return to the campus.

Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year B Tech student of the Bhubaneswar-based institute, died allegedly by suicide at her hostel on Sunday. The incident triggered protests on the campus, where around 1,000 Nepali students study. Students shouted slogans, blocked roads and pushed through the gates of buildings. A male student has been taken into custody.

A group of Nepalese students also staged a demonstration in front of the Indian embassy in Kathmandu with placards demanding a probe into the incident.

The embassy said that KIIT has appealed to Nepali students to “return to the campus, resume their classes, and stay in the hostels”. “Nepali students studying in India form an important facet of the enduring people to people links between the two countries. The Government of India will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the well-being of the Nepali students in India,” the statement read.

As the situation escalated on campus amid protests, KIIT authorities had allegedly evicted several Nepali students from the hostel and dropped them at Cuttack railway station without making any arrangements for their travel. The institute later clarified, “The administration made extensive efforts, engaging in counseling and discussions for over 10 hours to manage the situation peacefully. However, despite their best attempts, some protestors were unwilling to listen to the university authorities and continued to create disruptions, posing a challenge to law and order. They also blocked the main road for hours, causing inconvenience and escalating tensions.”

The university further added, “To ensure a smooth and unbiased investigation, Nepali students have been advised to return to their respective places with the help of local guardians until the inquiry is completed. Their academic aspects will not be disturbed during this period and will be taken care of by the university.” To maintain order on the campus, two platoons (each platoon consisting of 30 personnel) of police were deployed. Police also sealed the Ms Lamsal’s room and kept her body in the mortuary until her parents arrive.

Ms Lamsal’s father alleged that the private engineering institute “mistreated” undergraduates from the neighbouring country. “I have lost my daughter. Many other children are studying here. It is known from the media that some students were driven out of their hostel. This is not right. This incident should not be repeated. These people go to Nepal and invite students to study here. The institute mistreated them,” Sunil Lamsal alleged.

State higher education minister Suryabanshi Suraj said the government has directed the university to bring back the Nepali students to Bhubaneswar by special bus.

KIIT also assured that academic losses of students will be take care of by the institute. It set up a 24/7 control room at its campus 6 to assist Nepali students returning to the university. In a post on X, KIIT said, “A dedicated control room is open 24×7 at KIIT Campus 6 to facilitate the return of Nepali students to the KIIT campus. Additionally, a 24×7 helpline [+91 7847064550 & +91 7855029322] has been set up to provide support and guidance.”

In a post on X, Nepal’s Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli said two officers had been sent to counsel the students, with arrangements made to offer them the options of staying in their hostel or returning home.

Bhubaneswar:

Tension erupted on the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) campus in Odisha yesterday after a third-year student from Nepal was found dead in her hostel room. BTech student Prakristi Lamsal died by suicide, authorities said. Dozens of Nepali students assembled last night and staged a protest, after which they claimed they were evicted from the campus.

Several posts have surfaced on social media claiming that Lamsal was being harassed by her ex-boyfriend. Her cousin too filed a complaint saying she was being blackmailed by a male student at the university, which led her to hang herself.

A statement issued by the KIIT also made similar claims.

“A Nepali student studying in the third year of B-Tech committed suicide in the hostel yesterday. It is suspected that the student was in a love affair with another student studying at KIIT. It is suspected that the student may have committed suicide due to some reason,” said the statement.

The police have lodged a case on the allegation that a male student abated her suicide, said Pinak Mishra, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar.

“The accused student is in police custody and subjected to interrogation. The police have seized the mobile phone, laptop, and other gadgets of the deceased woman. We are undertaking a scientific investigation into the matter,” he said.

The senior official also appealed to the students to maintain peace after their protests sparked tension on the campus last night. Authorities deployed two platoons of police personnel to maintain law and order. In view of the situation, the university said it asked the students from Nepal to go back home, after which the Nepali students were packed in two buses and dropped at the Cuttack Railway Station this morning.

“The University is closed Sine Die for all the International students from Nepal. They are hereby directed to vacate the university campus immediately today on 17th February, 2025,” read a notice shared on social media.

Anil Prasad Yadav, a student from Nepal, told reporters at the railway station they were pushed out of the hostel.

#WATCH | Rajan Gupta from Nepal says, “…We were protesting for the (deceased) girl. We don’t know what their intentions are but we were forcibly made to vacate the hostel. There is no fixed schedule of the train, I have no money. We have not even had food. We are helpless…We… pic.twitter.com/bj2TLUWWIx

— ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2025

“We went to the International Office and sat overnight on a dharna, but we were sent back. We were finally asked to pack up and leave within an hour. We don’t know how we will go. We did not have food. We are trying to get a ticket,” he told news agency ANI.

Another student, Rajan Gupta, said they were protesting for the student who had died, but they were forcibly made to vacate the hostel. “The staff members came and asked us to vacate. They even hit those who were not packing quickly,” he said.

Taking note of the incident, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said his government is working on this issue through diplomatic channels and is in touch with the authorities.

On the law-and-order situation, a senior cop said police personnel have been deployed both inside and outside the campus to maintain law and order. A university official said the cops have also sealed the dead student’s room and kept her body in the mortuary to hand over to her parents.

The KIIT said the campus situation is now calm.

Meanwhile, students from other states have claimed that the university’s private security guards were not allowing them to leave the hostel. A video has also gone viral showing the students clashing with the guards, but it could not be verified. University officials have also refused to comment on this allegation.