Nepal student death: Massive protests at Odisha's KIIT University, students demand justice

Massive protests erupted at KIIT after Nepali student Prakriti Lamsal’s alleged suicide, with students demanding justice and transparency.

Pravrajya Suruchi

Updated : Feb 17, 2025, 08:33 PM IST

Nepal student death: Massive protests at Odisha's KIIT University, students demand justice

Massive protests at KIIT after Nepali student's alleged suicide

The Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar witnessed large-scale protests on Monday after the tragic death of a student from Nepal inside the university hostel. Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year B.Tech student, was found dead in her hostel room on Sunday evening, allegedly by suicide.

The incident has sparked outrage among students, including many Nepali nationals, who accused the university of trying to cover up the case. They also claimed that the administration had unfairly asked Nepali students to vacate the campus. The students are demanding a transparent investigation into Prakriti’s death.

According to Prakriti’s friends, she had been facing harassment from her ex-boyfriend, Advik Srivastava, which may have driven her to take this extreme step. Her brother also filed a police complaint, accusing Advik of harassment. The police have taken him into custody and charged him under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for abetment of suicide.

The protests on campus intensified as hundreds of students gathered, chanting slogans like "We Want Justice." Several videos shared online showed students confronting university officials, accusing them of ignoring the case. In one video, two university officials were reportedly heard making insensitive comments. One woman said, “We are feeding and teaching over 40,000 students for free,” while another official allegedly remarked, “That is more than your country’s budget.” However, India Today has not independently verified the video.

As tensions escalated, the university administration issued a statement confirming Prakriti’s death, stating that she was in a relationship with another student, and her suicide may have been linked to personal reasons. The authorities also announced that all international students from Nepal must leave the campus immediately.

This decision left many Nepali students frustrated, as they were given very little time to make travel arrangements. “The university is forcing us to leave without giving us enough time. How are we supposed to reach Nepal in a day without tickets?” a student questioned. On Monday, some Nepali students were transported to Cuttack Railway Station on buses. Meanwhile, students from other states claimed that security guards had restricted them from leaving their hostels.

The police are currently investigating the case and believe that Prakriti’s relationship issues with her boyfriend may have played a role in her death. According to a senior officer, “Her roommate said that she had an argument with her boyfriend in the morning, which could have been a triggering factor.”

'There was an unfortunate incident that 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 academic activities. An appeal is made to all our Nepali students who have or plan to leave the campus to return and resume classes': KIIT - Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology.