KIIT Nepali Student Suicide Case: Odisha Govt Orders Probe, Six Arrested, VC Issues Apology, And More

The situation escalated when more than 500 Nepali students were forced to leave the KIIT campus in Bhubaneswar and were dropped off at the Cuttack railway station after protests over the death of Prakriti Lamsal.In response, the Odisha government took action and set up a three-member committee on February 18, 2025, to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death and the university's alleged mistreatment of students involved in the protests, as well as the decision to close the institute sine die for a 'specific group of students'.

About KIIT Nepali Student Suicide Case

The Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar became thecentreof protests after a 20-year-old engineering student from Nepal was found dead in her hostel room on February 16, 2025. According to the latest report and police statement, Prakriti Lamsal had been harassed by her ex-boyfriend. Her cousin later filed a police complaint alleging that a male student at the university had been blackmailing her.

#WATCH | Odisha: A https://t.co/jHgpcuG1h2 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 student, who was studying computer science in the university's BTech program, was found dead under tragic circumstances. Police have stated that initial investigations suggest she may have taken her own life. One of her batchmates (Advik Srivastava) has been detained for questioning in connection with her death, and an FIR has been filed, including charges related to abetment to suicide.

Odisha Government Orders Probe

#BREAKING: Nepali students protest outside the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu after mistreatment faced by students at KIIT University in Odisha, India. Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year B Tech student from Nepal, died by suicide at the University after facing molestation by a student. pic.twitter.com/iIfx78RaW5

— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) February 17, 2025

On February 18, 2025, the Odisha government set up a three-member committee to look into the circumstances surrounding Prakriti's death and how the university handled the student protests. The committee is headed by the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) and includes members from the Higher Education and Women and Child Development departments.

State Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj acknowledged that the authorities at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) had failed to inform the government about the incident, including the forced eviction of Nepali students from the campus. He stated, “The institution has been placed under notice, and appropriate legal and administrative action shall follow based on the findings of the fact-finding committee.”

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology’s (KIIT) Vice-Chancellor Issues Apology Letter

Letter of Apology from the Vice-Chancellor, KIIT-DU

KIIT has always been a home to students from across the world, fostering a culture of inclusivity, respect, and care. We deeply regret the recent incident and reaffirm our commitment to the safety, dignity, and well-being of… pic.twitter.com/mJb1Zo9jGj

— KIIT - Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (@KIITUniversity) February 18, 2025

On February 18, 2025, Prof Saranjit Singh, the Vice-Chancellor of KIIT, apologised to the Nepali students for the way the institution handled the death of a third-year BTech student from Nepal. KIIT on their official X (formerly Twitter) handle shared the letter with and wrote, “Letter of Apology from the Vice-Chancellor, KIIT-DU

KIIT has always been a home to students from across the world, fostering a culture of inclusivity, respect, and care. We deeply regret the recent incident and reaffirm our commitment to the safety, dignity, and well-being of all our students, including our dear Nepali students.”

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KIIT University Faculty Their Apology Video

Apologies for hurting any of the sentiments of my students,brothers and sisters of Nepal@MEAIndia@PM_nepal_@DrSJaishankar@PMOIndia@MofaNepal@IndiaInNepal@EONIndia pic.twitter.com/0ftMLawxJZ

— manjusha pandey (@MPandey40122) February 18, 2025

In viral videos, a KIIT faculty member, Manjusha Pandey, was heard saying that the university “feeds and educates over 40,000 students for free” and she suggested that the cost of this could be compared to Nepal's entire national budget. She has now shared an apology video on social mediaaddressing her statement.

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

— Jayanti Nath (@JayantiNath6) February 18, 2025

Another staff member, Jayanti Nath also shared a video of apologising to Nepali students.

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KIIT Nepali Student Suicide Case: Six Arrested

The people arrested in connection with the case include Sibananda Mishra - Director General (HR), Pratap Kumar Chamupaty - Director (Administration), Director of hostels Sudhir Kumar Rath and Ramakanta Nayak, and security guards Jogendra Behera and Ramakanta Nayak. On February 17, 2025, Advik Srivastava, a 21-year-old KIIT student was also arrested on charges of abetting the girl's suicide.

In response, the university suspended two senior hostel officials and one administrative officer from the International Relations Office (IRO) until the ongoing investigation is completed.

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Image credit: Freepik and Twitter