As a university in Odisha was celebrating its three-day annual fest, a student's body was discovered in her hostel room. Within hours, the discovery led to embassy-level talks between two countries. The death of Prakriti Lamsal, a 20-year-old Nepalese student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar set off a storm of allegations, arrests, diplomatic unease, and student unrest.
What Happened
Prakriti, a third-year B.Tech (Computer Science) student, was found dead in her hostel room on Sunday afternoon. The police initially registered it as a case of suicide, but the circumstances surrounding her death triggered protests within the campus.
Students from Nepal demanded an inquiry and accountability from the university administration whom they accuse of ignoring Prakriti's requests for intervention. Prakriti was allegedly being subjected to both physical and verbal abuse by Advik Shrivastava, a 21-year-old BTech (Mechanical) student of the same university. In an audio file, which went viral after Prakriti's body was discovered, a man can be heard unleashing an expletives-ridden tirade against a woman who can be heard sobbing. The man forces the woman to call herself a "wh*r*" and even manipulates an apology out of her.
The audio features both individuals addressing each other as Advik and Prakriti, however, NDTV could not independently verify the clip.
Advik, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow, was arrested on Monday from outside Bhubaneswar's airport and charged with abetment of suicide.
Prakriti's body, after a post-mortem at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, has been handed over to her family. It will be flown to Nepal today. "I had sent my daughter for higher studies, trusting that she would be safe. What happened here is unacceptable," said her father, Sunil Lamsal.
Students Manhandled
After Nepalese students protested, KIIT University -- founded and run by veteran Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and former MP Achyuta Samanta -- instead of engaging with the students, responded with force. Security personnel, along with senior university officials, allegedly manhandled protesting students, leading to a violent crackdown that was caught on camera.
Videos circulated on social media showed students being physically assaulted and subjected to verbal abuse. In one of those videos, two senior university officials were also seen making derogatory remarks against Nepal, with one of them claiming that the country's GDP is lower than KIIT's budget for the roughly 40,000 students that the university caters to.
The protests continued overnight. Then the unexpected happened. With only days left for exams, all the Nepalese students were told to leave the university premises.
"The University is closed Sine Die for all the International students from Nepal. They are hereby directed to vacate the university campus immediately today on 17th February 2025," a university statement read.
The students were put on university buses and were sent packing to the railway station in Cuttack to fend for themselves. "They (KIIT) didn't say anything, they just asked us to leave," said one Nepalese student.
Odisha Government Steps In
The Odisha government on Tuesday formed a three-member fact-finding committee to investigate both the circumstances of Prakriti's death and the university's handling of student protests. The panel is led by the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), with members from the Higher Education and Women and Child Development departments.
State Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj admitted that KIIT authorities had failed to inform the government about the incident, including the forced eviction of foreign students. "The institution has been placed under notice, and appropriate legal and administrative action shall follow based on the findings of the fact-finding committee," he said.
Mr Suraj questioned why Nepalese students were de-boarded at Cuttack railway station and why the state government was kept in the dark about the unfolding crisis. He said that while around 100 Nepalese students remain on campus, nearly 800 others have left for Nepal.
Arrests and Legal Action
Including Advik, the Odisha Police have made six arrests in connection with both the student's death and the violence against protesters. Among those detained are three senior university officials-Director General (HR) Sibananda Mishra, Director (Administration) Pratap Kumar Chamupaty, and Director of Hostels Sudhir Kumar Rath. Two security guards, Jogendra Behera and Ramakanta Nayak, were also arrested for their role in the violent crackdown.
Two separate cases have been filed. The first concerns the suicide and was registered based on a complaint from Prakriti's cousin. The second was initiated by the police, following viral videos of security personnel assaulting students.
Apologies and Diplomatic Fallout
One KIIT faculty member, Manjusha Pandey, was heard claiming in the viral videos that KIIT "feeds and educates over 40,000 students for free," an amount she suggested was equivalent to Nepal's national budget. Another staff member, Jayanti Nath, was recorded shouting similar statements.
Both Ms Pandey and Ms Nath later issued public apologies. "My statements were made in the heat of the moment," Ms Pandey said in a video message. "If my words hurt the sentiments of any Nepalese students or people of Nepal, I sincerely apologise."
KIIT also issued an apology and removed two of its officials from service, though it did not name them. The institute urged Nepalese students to return to their hostels and resume their studies.
The Nepalese government, however, has not taken the issue lightly. In a strongly worded statement, it warned that it might suspend issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for students seeking admission to universities in Odisha if the matter was not resolved in a "justifiable and legal way."
Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli personally intervened, stating that his government was handling the matter through diplomatic channels. "Our Embassy in New Delhi has dispatched officers to counsel affected students," he announced.
The Nepalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the incident "unimaginable" and assured that it was in continuous contact with the Indian government and KIIT authorities. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu also pledged to ensure the safety of Nepalese students in India.
Political Fallout In Odisha
The controversy quickly turned into a political flashpoint in Odisha. The Congress party has demanded a judicial inquiry, while the ruling BJP - which came to power in Odisha for the first time in history after their shock win over the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD in the Assembly elections last year - has called for the arrest of KIIT founder Achyuta Samanta. The BJD, in turn, has blamed the incident on deteriorating law and order under the BJP-led state government.
The issue was also raised in the Odisha Assembly, with MLAs across party lines condemning the incident. "The developments at KIIT have brought a bad name to the state, and this cannot be tolerated," a Congress MLA said during the debate.
