Bhubaneswar:
On Thursday evening, a Nepali graduate student was found dead in his hostel room at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar, Second such death To include a Nepali student in the university within three months.
The student has been recognized as a first year student enrolled in the Computer Science B.Tech program. She was a native of Birganj, located about 135 km from Nepali capital Kathmandu. Police said that his body was hanged from the ceiling fan in his room in one of the hostels of the institute’s girls.
Police and university officials were alerted at around 8:00 pm before sending forensic teams to the spot. Bhubaneswar-Kattak Police Commissioner Suresh Dev Dutta Singh confirmed the recovery of the body and said that the case is being considered as a case of suspected suicide, pending the results of the post-mortem examination.
“Today, we have received information that a girl from Nepal has died of suicide at the insect university. We reached there and investigated the matter. A detailed investigation will be done in the case. The scientific team arrived, and all the necessary details were collected.
Security has been increased in and around the university campus, as this incident has rejected concerns over the safety and welfare of international students, especially from Nepal.
Another such incident
This is the second time in less than 90 days when a Nepali student has died in similar circumstances in the insect. On 16 February, a third year B.Tech student and a Nepali National, Prakrit Lamsal were found dead in their hostel room. The death of Ms. Lamsal was established and run by Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and former MP Achuta Samanta due to the widespread protests of criticism of the Nepali student community and university.
In the case of Ms. Lamsal, it later emerged that she had filed a formal complaint with the University’s International Relations Office (IRO), alleging sexual harassment by a fellow student. Despite the complaint, no immediate action was taken by the university administration, indicating a strong response from students and civil society groups. The National Human Rights Commission of India later described the university’s inaction as “gross negligence”. The accused in that case was arrested a day after his death.
Official response
Responding to Thursday’s incident, the Information and Public Relations Department of Odisha issued a statement in which condolences and confirming that the state government would ensure a thorough investigation.
The statement said, “The girl’s parents were informed about the incident immediately by the university authorities. In this time crisis, the state government increases its support to the deceased’s family and provides condolences to them,” the statement says.
Nepal’s Foreign Minister, Arzu Rana Deuba also reacted to the incident. In a post on the social media platform X (East Twitter), he confirmed that diplomatic channels were activated to ensure a transparent investigation.
“Soon after the incident, the Ministry of External Affairs launched a diplomatic initiative to investigate the truth of the incident through the Government of India, Government of Odisha and Nepali Embassy in Delhi,” wrote by Ms. Deuba.
The Nepali female student, the University of India, was studying at India, the prisa attack, which is found in the hostel in the host in the host, died. In this sad time, the pressure of fun -working in this sad time, the pressure of fun working in this sad time … pic.twitter.com/OJPDVADVXI
– Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba (@Arzuranadeuba) 2 May, 2025
He further expressed condolences to the victim’s family, saying, “Death has made us deeply sad. I pray for his soul for eternal peace and expand the sympathy for my unhappy family.”
Student protest
Student bodies and organizations representing the Nepali community in India described the incident as a “disturbing pattern” of neglect and failure in student welfare at the university.
“We demand a fair and early investigation. This is not a separate case. Two Nepali girls have died in the same hostel within three months. The answer should be, and if anyone is responsible through action or inactivity, they will have to face the results.”
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a student organization affiliated to the President’s Swammak Sangh (RSS), has also asked for an independent investigation. A spokesperson of ABVP ABVP said in Bhubaneswar, “This is the second suicide in the same hostel building involving the Nepali student.
Kiit University has not issued a formal statement on death.
Back-to-back incidents have created unrest among the international student community of the university. Groups of students allegedly gathered late on Thursday night and on Friday morning near the hostel, demanding better grievance redressal mechanisms, mental health assistance and an environment of a safe campus. There has been no news of violence, but a heavy police attendance is deployed around the campus.
