Indian Embassy’s Message To Nepali Students After KIIT Student Death

The Indian Embassy in Nepal promised a complete inquiry into the suspected suicide of a Nepalese woman student at Odisha’s Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), encouraging her to return to the campus.

Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year B Tech student from a Bhubaneswar institute, reportedly took her own life at her hostel on Sunday. The event sparked demonstrations at the campus, where approximately 1,000 Nepali students are enrolled. Students raised slogans, obstructed streets, and surged through the entrances of structures. A male student has been arrested.

A gathering of Nepalese students also held a protest in front of the Indian embassy in Kathmandu with signs calling for an investigation 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.