Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar witnessed large protests on Monday after a Nepali student allegedly died by suicide in her hostel room. The student, Prakriti Lamsal, was a third-year B.Tech student and was found dead on Sunday evening. Many students, including Nepali nationals, accused the university of mishandling the situation and trying to cover it up. They also claimed that Nepali students were suddenly asked to leave the campus. The protesters are demanding a fair investigation.
Prakriti’s friends said she was being harassed by her ex-boyfriend, Advik Srivastava, which may have led to her death. Her brother also filed a police complaint against him. Advik has been arrested and charged with abetment of suicide under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Hundreds of students gathered on campus, chanting slogans such as “We Want Justice” and accusing the university administration of not taking the incident seriously. Videos shared online showed students confronting university officials.
“Heartbroken and furious! Prakriti Lamsal, a bright young student from Nepal, is no longer with us. A promising life lost in a place meant to nurture dreams.
Is this the reality of top institutions? Are students truly safe within these walls? Questions must be answered, pic.twitter.com/rALDCzRM7m
— ଆମର ପ୍ରୀତି ଦିଦି (@preetididi44322) February 17, 2025
KIIT in a statement said: “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.” The KIIT said that the incident was immediately reported to the police.
Bhubaneswar DCP Pinak Mishra said: “We have registered a case at Infocity Police Station based on the allegation that a male student abated her suicide. 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.”
“The police have sealed the deceased girl’s room and kept the body at the mortuary till the arrival of her parents,” a varsity official said.
Two busloads of Nepali students were dropped at the Cuttack Railway Station on Monday. “We were told to vacate hostel room and dropped at the railway station. We had to appear for examination on February 28…” a male student told reporters at the Cuttack railway station.
#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
Students were visibly upset and worried as they did not have the required tickets to travel back home. Some criticized the university for its harsh decision to suspend Nepali students, especially since they, along with others, were preparing for exams scheduled for the last week of February.
(With inputs from PTI)
(Discussions on suicides can be triggering for some. But suicides are preventable. If you are looking for help, some suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are 011-40769002 from Sanjivini (Delhi-based, 10 am – 5.30 pm) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai-based, 8 am – 10 pm), +91 9999666555 from Vandrevala Foundation (Mumbai-based, 24×7).
