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Cassian Baliarsingh
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Death of two Nepali girl students of KIIT University in 74 days
In a deeply troubling sequence of events, two Nepali students have lost their lives in just 74 days at the premier KIIT University in Bhubaneswar. Just 74 days after Prakriti Lamsal was found dead, another Nepali student, Prisha Shah, a first-year student from Birgunj, was allegedly found dead in her hostel room on Thursday evening.
While the exact reason for Prisha’s death is yet to be ascertained, the two deaths have sent shockwaves among both the students, prompting both the Odisha and Nepal governments to take serious note of the matter.
Prisha Shah, a first-year student of computer science, was reportedly found dead in the hostel. As per reports, Prisha was found absent when the attendance was being taken at around 7 PM (Thursday evening). Upon checking, she was reportedly found hanging.
Commenting on the incident, Police Commissioner, S Dev Datta Singh said, “Today evening at around 7 PM, when attendance was being taken, the concerned student, who was alone in the room, did not respond. Then, upon checking, she was found hanging. Then we were informed. We are conducting an investigation. A scientific team has also reached the spot, and the victim’s room is being searched. The victim's friends are also present, and they are cooperating. Prima facie, no note has been found in the immediate surroundings of the dead body. However, the scientific team is conducting a search. An unnatural death case has been registered as no complaint has been received.”
Expressing deep sorrow, the Odisha government extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and assured all support.
Through a letter, the I&PR Department said, “In this hour of distress, the State Government extends its support to the family of the deceased and offers its condolences to them. On receipt of the information, senior officers, including the Commissioner of Police and Revenue Divisional Commissioner, rushed to the site to enquire into the circumstances leading to the unfortunate incident and take necessary action in the matter. The forensic team is at the spot to collect evidence.”
Responding to the incident, Dr Shankar P Sharma, Ambassador of Nepal to India, tweeted, “Deeply saddened by the tragic death of Nepali student Prisha Sah, found in her hostel room at KIIT, Odisha. Heartfelt condolences to her family. Prayers for eternal peace. We are closely coordinating with MEA, Odisha Govt.., police & the university for a thorough investigation.”
By the time this piece was published, family members of the deceased girl student were already informed about the death, and the body was at AIIMS Bhubaneswar for autopsy.
Meanwhile, KIIT University has tweeted, "We deeply mourn the untimely demise of our beloved student, Ms. Prisha Sah. Today, all senior functionaries of KIIT came together to express their heartfelt condolences and stand in solidarity with her family, friends, and the entire student community during this difficult time. May her soul rest in eternal peace."
Prakriti was a third-year B.Tech student. Reports said Lamsal was found dead in her room in the KIIT University hostel. Initial reports suggested that she took the extreme step over her ‘broken’ relationship with a fellow student at KIIT University.
Soon after the incident, a protest erupted with some students of KIIT University accusing the varsity of the inhuman way of handling of the unrest triggered by the death of Prakriti.
The students alleged that they were compelled to vacate their hostel following incidents of physical assault. Allegedly, the Nepali students were beaten by the university staff as well as security personnel.
Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli weighed in on the incident after Prakriti’s death.
“It has been reported through media and social networks that a Nepalese student died and a Nepali student was forced to be removed from the hostel of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Odisha, India. The government is working in contact with diplomatic manner on this issue,” wrote Nepal PM Oli on his social media account X (earlier known as Twitter).
Prime Minister Oli then assured the public that he was vigilantly monitoring the developments surrounding the event. Expressing his concern, Oli demanded an impartial investigation into the incident.
The controversy surrounding Prakriti’s death took center stage in the Odisha Assembly. Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj informed the House that the deceased girl student had filed a formal complaint regarding sexual harassment with the KIIT administration nearly 11 months before her tragic demise.
The Chief Minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi, engaged in discussions with Nepal’s Foreign Minister Dr Arzu Rana Deuba and promised decisive action. Two representatives from the Nepal Embassy- Sanjeev Das Sharma and Naveen Raj Adhikari met with the Chief Minister during the discussions. The meeting was also attended by the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary of the Chief Minister.
CM Majhi then asserted that Nepalese students studying in Odisha were children of the state, and they would continue to pursue their education with full respect and dignity.
A three-member inquiry committee, led by additional chief secretary (Home) Satyabrata Sahu, was entrusted with the responsibility of examining the circumstances leading to the girl student’s death.
The high-level committee was comprised of the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department, the Principal Secretary of the Women & Child Development Department, and the Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Higher Education Department as its members.
The Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan also then responded to concerns and confirmed that the State government set up a high-level committee to investigate the allegations thoroughly.
“The State government immediately constituted the high-level committee probing into the untoward situation that occurred in KIIT University, and police have also continued their investigation process. You might have witnessed and I want to repeat the same thing that whatever crimes took place in Odisha in the past eight months have either been brought to logical conclusions or efforts are on in this regard,” the Law Minister asserted.
“The Government is committed to it, and the process will continue in the future. Whoever is involved in a crime, be it a dacoity or a murder, or any other, will certainly be punished. It is a principle of this Government and we are moving ahead with it,” Minister Harichandan stated.
In the wake of Prakriti’s death, the Odisha government launched a dedicated International Student Facilitation Cell to provide necessary support and assistance to international students studying across the state.
The Higher Education Department rolled out the cell for international students across Public, Private and state-deemed Universities.
The helpline numbers are 0674-2323403 and 0674-2323404, and these numbers will be available between 10:30 am and 05:30 pm on all working days. The Higher Education Department also established four dedicated helpline numbers for the safety, security, and academic support of all Nepali students.
The government had set up dedicated helpline numbers: 0674-2396550, 0674-2323401, 0674-2323402, and 0674-2323403 to provide support and guidance to all affected Nepali students.
The Higher Education Department could also be reached on WhatsApp at 9124620605 to lodge any complaints or inconvenience they are facing.
As a responsible media channel, OTV abides by its charter to publish/telecast free, fair, and unbiased news backed by documentary evidence. In its efforts to provide balanced coverage, in case of views and opinions expressed by the public, it makes all efforts to obtain counter bytes from purportedly affected parties and, where available, telecasts/publishes these counter bytes alongside the news. OTV has done so in the past and, now in compliance with the Learned Court's Orders in IA No. 1/2025, will continue doing so in an unbiased and ethical manner.
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