Nepalese girl found dead at Odisha's KIIT hostel room, 2nd case in 90 days;
Nepalese girl found dead at Odisha's KIIT hostel room, 2nd case in 90 days;
An 18-year-old engineering student from Nepal was found dead in her hostel room at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) on Thursday evening, triggering fresh grief and concern on campus.
The student, identified as Prisha Sah from Birgunj, was in her first year of B.Tech (Computer Science). Her body was discovered by hostel staff after fellow students grew concerned over her absence throughout the day. Police are treating it as a suspected suicide. No note was found.
This is the second such death involving a Nepali student at KIIT in less than three months.
Second case in less than 3 months
In February, 20-year-old Prakriti Lamsal, also from Nepal, died by suicide inside the university premises. Her death was linked to allegations of harassment and blackmail by a fellow student. The incident led to days of protests by the Nepali student community and drew attention at the diplomatic level.
Following that tragedy, university officials promised reforms, and Odisha's government ordered disciplinary action. Yet, Thursday's news has many on campus questioning whether enough has changed.
'It's hard to believe this has happened again,' said one student, requesting anonymity. 'We don't feel heard, even now.'
Diplomatic concern
The Nepal Embassy has expressed its condolences and said it is in touch with Indian authorities and KIIT officials. 'We're closely monitoring the case and expect a fair investigation,' a statement read.
Police said postmortem procedures are underway and that they are examining all possibilities. As of Friday morning, KIIT had not released a formal statement about the incident.
The recent deaths have amplified long-standing concerns among international students, particularly from Nepal, who form a significant part of KIIT's student body. Many say the university lacks proper mental health infrastructure and culturally sensitive support systems.
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