"KIIT Student Prakriti Lamsal Suicide: Is This Just an Incident or Something Bigger?"

"Prakriti Lamsal, a Nepali Student, Discovered Dead in KIIT University Hostel

Suicide Case of Nepali Student at KIIT Sparks Protests and Diplomatic Concerns

A 20-year-old Nepali student, Prakriti Lamsal, allegedly died by suicide at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar, raising protests, diplomatic concerns, and questions about the university’s grievance redressal system. Prakriti, a third-year B.Tech student, was found dead in her hostel room on February 16. Reports suggest that she was being harassed by a fellow student, Advik Srivastava.

Following the incident, over 500 Nepali students at KIIT staged massive protests. The university administration allegedly tried to force students out of the hostel, leading to intervention from both the Nepal and Indian governments.

According to Prakriti’s cousin, Siddhant Sigdel, a complaint was filed against Advik Srivastava at the university’s International Relations Office, but he was only given a warning. Further reports claim that Advik blackmailed and mistreated Prakriti.

Police took Advik into custody while he was trying to flee the city. He has been arrested for abetment of suicide, and Prakriti’s mobile phone and laptop have been seized for forensic investigation.

After Prakriti’s death, KIIT instructed all Nepali students to vacate the campus, which led to widespread criticism. In response, Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli reacted to the issue, and the Nepali Embassy intervened to ensure the safety of the students.

Under mounting pressure, KIIT revoked its decision, allowing students to return to campus and promising to restore normalcy. The Odisha government has also launched an investigation into the case.

The matter is still under investigation, and further actions by the police are awaited.