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The Indian Embassy in Nepal assured thorough investigation into the alleged suicide of a Nepal woman student at Odisha's Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), urging them to return to the campus.
Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year B Tech student of the Bhubaneswar-based institute, died allegedly by suicide at her hostel on Sunday. The incident triggered protests on the campus, where around 1,000 Nepali students study. Students shouted slogans, blocked roads and pushed through the gates of buildings. A male student has been taken into custody.
A group of Nepalese students also staged a demonstration in front of the Indian embassy in Kathmandu with placards demanding a probe into the incident.
The embassy said that KIIT has appealed to Nepali students to "return to the campus, resume their classes, and stay in the hostels". "Nepali students studying in India form an important facet of the enduring people to people links between the two countries. The Government of India will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the well-being of the Nepali students in India," the statement read.
As the situation escalated on campus amid protests, KIIT authorities had allegedly evicted several Nepali students from the hostel and dropped them at Cuttack railway station without making any arrangements for their travel. The institute later clarified, "The administration made extensive efforts, engaging in counseling and discussions for over 10 hours to manage the situation peacefully. However, despite their best attempts, some protestors were unwilling to listen to the university authorities and continued to create disruptions, posing a challenge to law and order. They also blocked the main road for hours, causing inconvenience and escalating tensions."
The university further added, "To ensure a smooth and unbiased investigation, Nepali students have been advised to return to their respective places with the help of local guardians until the inquiry is completed. Their academic aspects will not be disturbed during this period and will be taken care of by the university." To maintain order on the campus, two platoons (each platoon consisting of 30 personnel) of police were deployed. Police also sealed the Ms Lamsal's room and kept her body in the mortuary until her parents arrive.
Ms Lamsal's father alleged that the private engineering institute "mistreated" undergraduates from the neighbouring country. "I have lost my daughter. Many other children are studying here. It is known from the media that some students were driven out of their hostel. This is not right. This incident should not be repeated. These people go to Nepal and invite students to study here. The institute mistreated them," Sunil Lamsal alleged.
State higher education minister Suryabanshi Suraj said the government has directed the university to bring back the Nepali students to Bhubaneswar by special bus.
KIIT also assured that academic losses of students will be take care of by the institute. It set up a 24/7 control room at its campus 6 to assist Nepali students returning to the university. In a post on X, KIIT said, "A dedicated control room is open 24x7 at KIIT Campus 6 to facilitate the return of Nepali students to the KIIT campus. Additionally, a 24x7 helpline [+91 7847064550 & +91 7855029322] has been set up to provide support and guidance."
In a post on X, Nepal's Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli said two officers had been sent to counsel the students, with arrangements made to offer them the options of staying in their hostel or returning home.
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