Guwahati: The Odisha government has formed a high-level fact-finding committee to investigate the alleged suicide of a 20-year-old Nepali student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Bhubaneswar.
The committee is headed by Satyabrata Sahu, additional chief secretary in the home department. It includes Shubha Sarma, principal secretary in the women and child development department, and Aravind Agrawal, secretary in the higher education department.
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Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year B.Tech student, who hails from Kathmandu in Nepal, was found dead in her hostel room following alleged harassment by a male friend. Police in Bhubaneswar have arrested a third-year student in connection with her death.
The state government stated that legal action would be taken based on the committee’s findings. They have also taken steps to arrest security guards and suspend university officials involved in mistreating protesting students.
The government’s statement emphasized that reports of misconduct, including the use of force against students, are being investigated and those responsible will be held accountable. They affirmed their commitment to ensuring swift and fair justice.
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Lamsal’s father has demanded stringent punishment for those responsible and criticized the university for asking protesting Nepali students to vacate the hostels.
He expressed disappointment with the university’s handling of the situation, stating, “After she ended her life, the authorities should have caught hold of the accused youth. However, her fellow Nepali colleagues lodged a complaint, and the police nabbed him when he was fleeing.”
He urged the government to allow Nepali students to return to the university without conditions and requested better security for them.
Following the incident, KIIT authorities allegedly evicted several students from the hostel and left them at Cuttack railway station without travel arrangements.
The university has a diverse student body, including hundreds from Northeast India, including Assam, and neighboring Bhutan.
Students from the Northeast have expressed feelings of insecurity and helplessness due to the university’s actions.
“Instead of taking appropriate action against the accused responsible for Prakriti Lamsal’s death, the university authorities allowed the protesting students to be assaulted and staff hurled racial abuse at them,” said a student from Assam, who wished to remain anonymous.