To maintain order on the campus, two platoons of police were deployed. The police also sealed the deceased student's room and kept her body in the mortuary until her parents arrived.
The suicide of a third-year B Tech student Nepali student at the hostel of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Bhubaneswar has sparked a diplomatic row between India and Nepal. As the situation escalated on campus, KIIT authorities allegedly evicted several Nepali students from the hostel and dropped them at Cuttack railway station without making any arrangements for their travel, PTI reported.
Additionally, Nepal Prime Minister intervened and said that Nepal has sent a team to investigate the matter. The Indian embassy in Nepal said it will take all necessary steps to ensure the well-being of Nepali students.
Students Protest, India Assures Safety
Following the incident, several Nepali students staged protests demanding the arrest of the accused student, who they claim harassed the victim.
As per reports, KIIT University on February 17 released a statement asking Nepali students who had left or were planning to leave to return and resume their 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," the statement read.
To maintain order on the campus, two platoons (each platoon consisting of 30 personnel) of police were deployed. The police also sealed the deceased student's room and kept her body in the mortuary until her parents arrived.
Before this, the university reportedly issued a notice announcing that the campus was “closed sine die for all international students from Nepal" and instructed them to vacate the premises. This caused distress among Nepali students, as many said they did not have tickets to go home. Some were also worried about their upcoming exams scheduled for the last week of February.
India has assured students from Nepal of its efforts to ensure their well-being after KIIT reportedly asked the students from the neighbouring country to evacuate. As per reports, the university reportedly has more than 400 students from Nepal. "Nepali students studying in India form an important facet of enduring people-to-people links,” it said in a statement posted on X.
Police Arrest A 21-Year Old Student
The Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police have arrested the accused, identified as 21-year-old Lucknow resident Advik Srivastava. The incident sparked protests by students and members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Monday, who demanded justice, reports said.
Police Commissioner Suresh Dev Datta Singh said the authorities were informed about the incident and immediately registered a case.
“We received information about the incident of suicide by a girl student of a third-year Computer Science in KIIT University. On this information, a case was registered. There was an allegation that this girl who belonged to Nepal was harassed by one student of KIIT University in third year Mechanical engineering. We investigated the matter, and we got prima facie evidence that there was some sort of harassment which could have prompted the girl to die by suicide, so we arrested the accused person; we examined him, and today, he has been forwarded to judicial custody," said the Commissioner on Monday evening.
PM Oli Intervenes, Nepal Sends A Team
PM Oli posted on Facebook in Nepali, "It has come to our attention through media and social media that a Nepali student has died in a hostel of KIIT University in Odisha and that Nepali students have been forcibly evicted. The government is working on this matter through diplomatic channels and is in contact with the relevant authorities."
PM Oli also posted on X, saying, “Our Embassy in New Delhi has dispatched two officers to counsel Nepali students affected in Odisha. Additionally, arrangements have been made to ensure they have the option to either remain in their hostel or return home, based on their preference."