Guwahati: The death of a 20-year-old Nepali student at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) university in Bhubaneswar has sparked outrage both in India and Nepal.
Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year computer science student, allegedly died by suicide in her hostel room on Sunday afternoon, February 16, 2025. Her family alleges harassment and emotional blackmail contributed to her death, while the university maintains an investigation is underway.
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Prakriti’s father, Sunil Lamsal, traveled to Bhubaneswar and, after the post-mortem at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, made arrangements to return her body to Nepal.
He stated that the family learned of the incident from his son, Prakriti’s brother. Lamsal has indicated that the individual initially arrested in connection with the case is “the reason behind this,” though details remain scarce.
The incident has escalated beyond a local tragedy. In Kathmandu, the student wing of the Nepali Congress party organized protests demanding justice for Prakriti.
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Demonstrations also took place at KIIT, with students alleging they were assaulted by security personnel. The Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police have arrested two security guards, Ramakanta Nayak (45) and Jogendra Behera (25), and filed a case against them under several sections of the BNS, including wrongful restraint, obscene acts, voluntarily causing hurt, and joint criminal liability.
Video footage reportedly shows the guards assaulting students during a protest demanding justice for Prakriti. Five individuals in total have been arrested in connection with the incident, including three senior KIIT staff members and the two security guards.
The university’s initial response to the tragedy has drawn criticism. Following the discovery of Prakriti’s body, KIIT issued a notice closing the college “sine die” for all international students from Nepal, a move that was later rescinded with the university urging students to return and resume their studies. This decision was perceived by many as insensitive and further fueled tensions.
Adding fuel to the fire, allegations of racist remarks made by KIIT staff members against Nepali students have surfaced.
In a viral video, a professor, Manjusha Pandey, is heard saying, “We are feeding and teaching over 40,000 students for free.” Another staff member, Jayanti Nath, is heard shouting, “That is equivalent to your country’s budget.”
These remarks have been widely condemned as disrespectful and have amplified calls for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Prakriti’s death.
Students demanded a personal apology from the two women officers involved. Facing intense pressure, both Jayanti Nath and Manjusha Pandey issued a video apology via KIIT’s official X (formerly Twitter) account.
The situation has even reached the Parliament of Nepal, where opposition members staged protests, expressing outrage over the “racist” remarks and the university’s handling of the situation.
They described the KIIT authorities’ response as “outrageous and humiliating for Nepal” and demanded a probe into the death.
The incident has also highlighted the diverse student body at KIIT, which includes students from various regions, including the Northeast region of India, such as Assam.