The Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar witnessed protests after a 20-year-old engineering student from Nepal was found dead in her hostel room on Sunday evening.
The student, Prakriti Lamsal, was pursuing a B.Tech in computer science from the university. Police officials say that a prima facie investigation suggests she committed suicide, and her batchmate from the same university has been detained in connection with the incident. Police say he is being questioned, and an FIR has also been filed under sections of abetment to suicide.
A police team visited the hostel and sent the body for a post-mortem to the Capital Hospital, following which it will be handed over to the family.
Irate students from Nepal meanwhile blocked the road near the KIIT campus, alleging that the university authorities took no action when the student reached out to the International Relations Office at the university, flagging harassment by her batchmate.
KIIT registrar Jnyana Ranjan Mohanty however claimed she took the step because of a strained relationship.
In a statement, KIIT said, “University officials immediately informed the police, who have since taken a male student — believed to have been in a relationship with the deceased — into custody for questioning. It is believed that the student may have taken this step following a personal dispute/issue between them.”
Police have been deployed on the campus to restore normalcy.
The university has announced “sine die” for all international students from Nepal and directed them to vacate the campus immediately on Monday. Over 500 students from Nepal were asked to board buses and were dropped at various railway stations, from where they were asked to head home.
- webstrnew1
