KIIT founder Achyuta Samanta under fire for using students & guardians as shields to target media

Controversy has once again surrounded Achyuta Samanta, the founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) in Bhubaneswar, as allegations resurface concerning misconduct at the institutions.

Samanta has come under fire amidst accusations linked to KIIT and KISS scandals. Samanta has not directly addressed these allegations, choosing instead to target media channels that are pursuing the story through students and guardians.

A letter from the KISS Tribal Parents' Association is being circulated widely on social media, accusing OTV, a prominent news channel, of spreading misinformation. The letter denounces OTV for allegedly undermining the noble efforts of KISS and KIIT while allegedly attempting to reveal the truth behind the scandals.

Media and Allegations

Critics have termed this a tactic by Samanta to deflect attention from these critical issues, purportedly using the Tribal Parents' Association to divert criticism. The coverage by OTV, which has brought to light disturbing exposés regarding KIIT and KISS, has been reportedly met with fierce backlash from the association. Accusations against OTV include using coercion on students to extract interviews, threatening their expulsion, making intimidating phone calls, and allegedly using drones to capture images of hostels without consent.

Institutional Response

Despite numerous efforts to seek comments, Samanta and his institution’s authorities have not responded to key questions about allegations including student suicides at KIIT, the mistreatment of Nepali students, and alleged unlawful land acquisitions aimed at expanding the institution. These issues remain unaddressed by either Samanta or representatives from KISS.

OTV's Stance

OTV maintains that its reports are backed by evidence and testimonies. Meanwhile, critics suggest that Samanta continues to wield his influence to evade accountability, leveraging voices of some students and guardians to counter the allegations.

Looking Forward

The silence from Samanta and his institutions on these recurring allegations has only heightened public concern regarding accountability. Samanta stands firm, maintaining a stance of non-engagement with these specific accusations related to governance at his institutions.

"If you feel that something has been told against you in a wrong way and baseless manner, you should move the court. If the media finds anything illegal and injustice, those things should be reported. Nobody will accept if you make the students and their guardians as your shield," said senior journalist Rabi Das.

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"If Achyuta Samanta has guts, he should call a press meet on the documents that the RTI activists have produced. He is creating a kind of drama by using some pseudo-intellectuals," said RTI activist Pratap Mohanty.

"Why he (Achyuta Samanta) is silent for nearly 20 days after so many media reports appeared against KIIT? If the reports are false and baseless, he should raise his voice against it. However, he seems to be using the students and the guardians to suppress the matter," said another RTI activist.