Nepalese Girl, 18, Found Dead At Odisha's KIIT, 2nd Case In 90 Days

NDTV

02-05-2025

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A Nepalese student from KIIT was found dead in her hostel, marking the second such incident in three months. The case is being treated as a suspected suicide.
Bhubaneswar:
A Nepalese undergraduate student was found dead in her hostel room at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar on Thursday evening, marking the second such death involving a Nepalese student at the university within three months.
The student has been identified as a first-year student enrolled in the Computer Science B.Tech programme. She was a native of Birgunj, located approximately 135 km from the Nepalese capital Kathmandu. Her body was discovered hanging from the ceiling fan in her room at one of the institute's girls' hostels, police said.
Police and university officials were alerted around 8:00 pm before forensic teams were dispatched to the scene. Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner Suresh Dev Datta Singh confirmed the recovery of the body and said that the matter is being treated as a case of suspected suicide, pending the outcome of the post-mortem examination.
"Today, we have received information that a girl from Nepal has died by suicide at the KIIT University. We reached there and investigated the matter. A detailed investigation will be conducted into the matter. The scientific team arrived, and all the necessary details were collected. Her family has been informed. The body has been sent to AIIMS for the post-mortem," Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner Suresh Dev Datta Singh said.
Security has been heightened in and around the university premises, as the incident has rekindled concerns over the safety and welfare of international students, particularly those from Nepal.
Second Such Incident
This is the second time in less than 90 days that a Nepalese student has died under similar circumstances at KIIT. On February 16, Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year B.Tech student and also a Nepalese national, was found dead in her hostel room. Ms Lamsal's death had led to widespread protests from the Nepalese student community and criticism of the university, founded and run by Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and former MP Achyuta Samanta.
In Ms Lamsal's case, it later emerged that she had filed a formal complaint with the university's International Relations Office (IRO) alleging sexual harassment by a fellow student. Despite the complaint, no immediate action was taken by the university administration, prompting a strong response from students and civil society groups. The National Human Rights Commission of India had subsequently described the university's inaction as "gross negligence." The accused in that case was arrested a day after her death.
Government Response
Responding to Thursday's incident, Odisha's Department of Information and Public Relations issued a statement offering condolences and reaffirming that the state government would ensure a thorough investigation.
"The parents of the girl were informed about the incident immediately by the university authorities. In this hour of distress, the state government extends its support to the family of the deceased and offers its condolences to them," the statement read.
The Foreign Minister of Nepal, Arzu Rana Deuba, also reacted to the incident. In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), she confirmed that diplomatic channels had been activated to ensure a transparent investigation.
"Immediately after the incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs initiated diplomatic initiatives to investigate the truth of the incident through high-ranking officials of the Government of India, the Government of Odisha, and the Nepali Embassy in Delhi," Ms Deuba wrote.
भारतको ओडिसास्थित कलिंगा इन्स्टिच्यूट अफ इन्डस्ट्रियल टेक्नोलोजी (केआईआईटी) विश्वविद्यालयमा अध्ययनरत नेपाली छात्रा प्रिसा साह आफ्नै होस्टेल कोठामा मृत भेटिएको घटनाले निकै मर्माहित बनाएको छ। प्रिसाको आत्माको चिर शान्तिको कामना गर्दै यस दुखद घडीमा उनको परिवाजनमा गहिरो समवेदना… pic.twitter.com/ojPdVadvXI
— Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba (@Arzuranadeuba) May 2, 2025
She further expressed condolences to the victim's family, saying, "The death has deeply saddened us. I pray for eternal peace to her soul and extend heartfelt sympathies to her grieving family."
Student Protests
Student bodies and organisations representing the Nepalese community in India described the incident as a "disturbing pattern" of neglect and failure in student welfare at the university.
"We demand an impartial and speedy investigation. This is not an isolated case. Two Nepali girls have died in the same hostel within three months. There must be answers, and if anyone is responsible-whether through action or inaction-they must face consequences," said Samar Bahadur, a spokesperson for the Akhil Bharat Nepali Ekta Samaj.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a student organisation affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has also called for an independent probe. "This is the second suicide in the same hostel building involving a Nepalese student. The authorities cannot continue to ignore these tragedies. We demand a full investigation and transparency from the university," a spokesperson for ABVP said in Bhubaneswar.
KIIT University has not issued a formal statement on the death.
The back-to-back incidents have sparked unrest among the university's international student community. Groups of students reportedly began gathering late Thursday night and early Friday morning near the hostels, demanding better grievance redressal mechanisms, mental health support, and a safer campus environment. There have been no reports of violence, but a heavy police presence remains deployed around the campus.