Bhubaneswar: The KIIT Deemed to be University is facing the ire of students, State Government, Nepal Government and general public for forcefully evicting them from their hostels after the death of a Nepali girl student inside the campus.
There was tension on the campus on Sunday after a third-year BTech student from Nepal was found dead in her hostel room. The 20-year-old allegedly died by suicide after being harassed by a male student, sources said.
Dozens of Nepali students gathered on the campus on Sunday night over a protest, and they said they were subsequently evicted from KIIT.
Without money, food and reservation tickets, the students were asked by the KIIT authority to vacate the institute as soon as possible. Even the KIIT authority took them to Cuttack railway station in a bus to dispatch them to Nepal.
However, the students questioned the decision to “forcefully remove” them, arguing that it was unreasonable to expect them to arrange travel on such short notice.
KIIT in a statement said: “A Nepali student studying in the third year of B-Tech committed suicide in the hostel yesterday. It is suspected that the student was in a love affair with another student studying at KIIT. It is suspected that the student may have committed suicide due to some reason.” The KIIT said that the incident was immediately reported to the police.
The deceased’s cousin complained to Infocity police station in Bhubaneswar alleging that his sister hanged herself in her hostel room on Sunday. He suspected that another male student of the varsity was blackmailing his sister for which she committed suicide.
Bhubaneswar DCP Pinak Mishra said, “We have registered a case at Infocity Police Station based on the allegation that a male student abated her suicide. The accused student is in police custody and subjected to interrogation. The police have seized the mobile phone, laptop and other gadgets of the deceased woman.”
Meanwhile, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has taken note of the situation and stated that the country’s embassy in New Delhi has sent two officers to counsel Nepali students affected in Odisha. He said that arrangements have been made to allow the students to either stay in their hostel or return home.
The Nepal Prime Minister is closely monitoring the case as it has created a row in their state.
Following the Nepal Prime Minister’s concern, the State Government too intervened in the case and asked the KIIT authority to provide necessary assistance to the Nepali students.
Later, the institute authority took ‘U’ turn and appealed to the Nepali students to return to the campus and resume classes.
“There was an unfortunate incident which took place late in the evening yesterday on the KIIT campus. Immediately after the incident, police investigated the matter and apprehended the culprit. The KIIT administration has taken all-out efforts to restore normalcy in the campus and hostels to resume the academic activities. An appeal is made to all our Nepali students who have or plan to leave the campus to return and resume the classes,” the institute posted on X.
State Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj termed the incident unfortunate and said Chief Minister Mohan Majhi has asked him to intervene in the matter and inform him about the updates.