Bhubaneswar: The alleged suicide of a B. Tech student from Nepal in her hostel room has triggered unrest on the campus of a private university in the city. The deceased Prakriti Lamsal was a third year student at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT).
She was found dead in her room on Sunday afternoon. Prakrit (20) was pursuing a B.Tech in computer science from the university, She committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling fan. The suicide is being attributed to her strained relations with her boyfriend. One of her relatives filed a police complaint alleging that she was being blackmailed by a male student which forced her to take the extreme step.
The death triggered unrest on the campus. with Nepalese students blocking the road near the campus. On Monday morning, the university was closed sine die for students from Nepal who were asked to vacate the university campus immediately.
A section of the Nepal students claimed they faced a lot of problems as they did not get train tickets to travel back home. They alleged that they were packed in a bus and sent to Cuttack. “We have been asked to vacate the hostel and leave for our homes,” claimed a student who also alleged that the deceased took the extreme step as authorities failed to address her problems. However, the authorities later in the evening asked the Nepalese students to return to the campus and join studies.
Following unrest and alleged forceful eviction of the students, Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli reportedly intervened in the matter and tweeted , “Our Embassy in New Delhi has dispatched two officers to counsel Nepali students affected in Odisha. Additionally, arrangements have been made to ensure they have the option to either remain in their hostel or return home, based on their preference.”
A KIIT release said “There was an unfortunate incident which took place late in the evening yesterday on the KIIT campus. Immediately after the incident, police investigated the matter and apprehended the culprit. The KIIT administration has taken all-out efforts to restore normalcy in the campus and hostels to resume the academic activities. An appeal is made to all our Nepali students who have or plan to leave the campus to return and resume the classes.”
A senior KIIT official, however, denied the allegations and said, “after we came to know about the student’s difficulties, we asked them to return. There has been no forceful eviction. We do have 500 Nepalese students. As tension prevails, many prefer to go to their homes. We still have more than 150 students on our campus. We appeal to all to return.”
On the issue of death, KIIT in a release said, “The third-year B.Tech student from Nepal died by suicide in her hostel room at KIIT University. University officials immediately informed the police, who have since taken a male student—believed to have been in a relationship with the deceased—into custody for questioning. It is believed that the student may have taken this step following personal dispute or issue between them.”
The release said, “The incident led to concerns among students from Nepal, prompting discussions with the university administration. Following talks, the students have returned to their respective homes, and the situation on campus remains normal.” Police have launched an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Bhubaneswar DCP Pinak Mishra said the accused Advik Srivastava who reportedly abetted the suicide has been detained. The students alleged that the victim was being harassed by Advik for several months and despite reporting the matter to the international relations department of the university, there was no help.
