Kathmandu-The death of Prakriti Lamsal, a 20-year-old Nepali student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, has triggered mass protests, allegations of negligence, and diplomatic intervention from Nepal and India.
Prakriti, a B.Tech third-year student, passed away in her hostel room on Sunday night. Although the reason for the death has not been confirmed, suspected suicide following harassment from a third-year Mechanical Engineering male student has been alleged. Prakriti had complained to KIIT's International Relations Office (IRO) about the harassment last month, but there was no subsequent action, which has led to allegations of university negligence being the cause of the death.
Protests were staged by hundreds of Nepali students calling for action against the university following the incident. The registrar's office of KIIT then ordered all Nepali students to vacate the campus immediately. Over 500 Nepali students were forced out of their hostels on Monday afternoon and dropped off at various railway stations, where they were asked to return home, various India media report.
However, under pressure of criticism, the university withdrew its order, inviting the students to return to campus and assuring them their academic losses would be made up.
The Indian Embassy in Nepal conveyed condolences to the family of Prakriti and promised cooperation with Indian officials for an impartial investigation.
The Nepali Embassy in India urged KIIT to take care of the safety and accommodation of Nepali students and reopen their classes.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a prominent Indian students' organization, condemned KIIT's behavior in the case, terming the eviction notice 'inhumane and illegal.'
Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli also commented on the matter, stating that the Nepali government is pursuing diplomatic efforts to deal with the situation and bring justice to Prakriti.
KIIT has assured a free and fair inquiry into the death of Prakriti, as diplomatic talks between India and Nepal are ongoing to guarantee the safety of Nepali students in Indian universities.
