KIIT student suicide sparks diplomatic row, protests, and arrests | Key developments

The death of Prakriti Lamsal, a 20-year-old Nepali student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar, has triggered mass protests, arrests, and diplomatic intervention between India and Nepal. She was found dead in her hostel room on February 16, with authorities initially registering the case as suicide. However, allegations of harassment by fellow student Advik Shrivastava and a viral audio recording of verbal abuse led to widespread outrage.

Advik, a 21-year-old B.Tech (Mechanical) student from Lucknow, was arrested the next day at Bhubaneswar airport and charged with abetment of suicide. A post-mortem was conducted at AIIMS Bhubaneswar before Prakriti’s body was handed over to her family and flown to Nepal. Her father, Sunil Lamsal, stated, "I had sent my daughter for higher studies, trusting that she would be safe. What happened here is unacceptable."

Protests erupted on campus, with Nepali students demanding accountability from the university administration. They accused KIIT authorities of ignoring Prakriti’s complaints and failing to intervene in the alleged harassment. Security personnel and senior university officials reportedly used force to disperse protesters, with videos showing students being physically assaulted. Some officials were caught on camera making derogatory remarks about Nepal’s economy.

Following the protests, KIIT issued a notice directing all Nepali students to vacate the campus immediately. University buses transported them to Cuttack railway station, leaving many to arrange travel back to Nepal on their own. The Odisha government later stated that the university had not informed them of this decision. Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said, "The institution has been placed under notice, and appropriate legal and administrative action shall follow based on the findings of the fact-finding committee."

The Odisha government formed a three-member fact-finding committee led by the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) to investigate Prakriti’s death and the university’s handling of the protests. Six arrests have been made, including KIIT’s Director General (HR) Sibananda Mishra, Director (Administration) Pratap Kumar Chamupaty, and Director of Hostels Sudhir Kumar Rath. Two security guards, Jogendra Behera and Ramakanta Nayak, were also detained for assaulting students.

Amid growing tensions, KIIT faculty members Manjusha Pandey and Jayanti Nath, who made controversial remarks about Nepal, issued public apologies. KIIT also removed two officials from service and urged Nepali students to return. Meanwhile, Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli stated that his government was handling the matter through diplomatic channels. The Nepalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has warned that Nepal may suspend issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for students seeking admission in Odisha if the issue is not resolved justly.

The incident has led to political fallout in Odisha. The Congress party has demanded a judicial inquiry, while the ruling BJP has called for the arrest of KIIT founder Achyuta Samanta. The BJD, which governed Odisha for over two decades before losing to the BJP in the last election, has blamed the controversy on the current administration’s handling of law and order. The Odisha Assembly also debated the issue, with MLAs across party lines condemning the developments at KIIT.