KIIT University Incident: The Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar was rocked by protests after a 20-year-old engineering student from Nepal was found dead in her hostel room on Sunday evening.

Preliminary Investigations

The student, Prakriti Lamsal, was pursuing a B.Tech in Computer Science at the university. According to police officials, preliminary investigations suggest she died by suicide. A male batchmate from the same university has been detained for questioning in connection with the case. Authorities have also filed an FIR under sections related to abetment of suicide.

A police team visited the hostel and sent Lamsal’s body for a post-mortem at Capital Hospital. Once the autopsy is completed, her remains will be handed over to her family.

Meanwhile, campus tensions escalated as students from Nepal staged a protest, blocking the road near the KIIT campus. They alleged that university authorities failed to act when Lamsal had reached out to the International Relations Office, reporting harassment by the detained batchmate.

KIIT University Responds

KIIT officials, however, have attributed Lamsal’s actions to personal reasons.

“She took this step because of a strained relationship,” said KIIT registrar Jnyana Ranjan Mohanty.

In an official statement, the university added: “University officials immediately informed the police, who have since taken a male student—believed to have been in a relationship with the deceased—into custody for questioning. It is believed that the student may have taken this step following a personal dispute/issue between them.”

To prevent further unrest, police forces have been deployed on campus. KIIT has also announced a “sine die” closure for all international students from Nepal and directed them to vacate the campus immediately on Monday. Over 500 Nepalese students were asked to board buses and were dropped off at various railway stations, from where they were instructed to return home.

KIIT University Statement

The university, in its statement, said the incident caused concern among Nepalese students, leading to discussions with the administration. Following talks, the students left the campus, and the university maintained that normalcy had been restored.

Authorities have launched a full investigation to determine the exact circumstances surrounding Lamsal’s death.

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