KIIT hostel sees second Nepali student death within months of the Prakriti Lamsal case that shook India

A female student from Nepal was found dead inside her hostel room at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University, Bhubaneswar, on Thursday evening.

Police confirmed the discovery of the first-year B.Tech Computer Science student's body in a hanging position within the campus premises.

Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner Suresh Dev Datta Singh stated that authorities were alerted to the alleged suicide and promptly initiated an investigation.

"Today, we have received information that a girl from Nepal has died by suicide at the KIIT University," he said. "We reached there and investigated the matter. A detailed investigation will be conducted...The scientific team reached there, and all the details were collected. Her family has been informed. The body has been sent to AIIMS for the post-mortem."

The police commissioner also confirmed that the Nepal Embassy has been notified about the tragic event.

The Odisha government has expressed its condolences and assured a thorough probe into the circumstances surrounding the student's death.

Stark reminder of Prakriti Lamsal death case
"Information about the alleged suicide of a girl student from Nepal, studying in the first year B Tech, Computer Science, KIIT University, was received from local police at about 8.10 pm today," the Information and Public Relations Department conveyed in a statement.

"The parents of the girl were informed about the incident immediately by the university authorities. In this hour of distress, the State Government extends its support to the family of the deceased and offers its condolences to them."

The statement further added that senior officials, including the Commissioner of Police and Revenue Divisional Commissioner, were dispatched to the university to inquire into the incident and ensure necessary action. A forensic team was also deployed to gather evidence from the scene.

This incident bears a stark resemblance to the death of another Nepali student at the same university on February 16th of this year. That previous incident led to protests by Nepali students who alleged inaction by the college following complaints of harassment against a fellow student, who was later arrested.

Akhil Bharat Nepali Ekta Samaj, ABVP demand probe
Demands for a swift and comprehensive investigation have already begun to surface. Akhil Bharat Nepali Ekta Samaj has called for a thorough probe into the latest death.

"We demand an investigation into this matter as soon as possible. We will also investigate the matter in detail, what happened and why she died...We want the accused should be arrested and punished," stated Samar Bahadur, a member of the organization.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has also echoed the call for a thorough investigation, highlighting the concerning repetition of such incidents at the institution.

"The incident has repeated. There was one more suicide case from the same hostel and building...ABVP demands a thorough investigation into the matter," an ABVP member told reporters.

(With inputs from ANI)