Indian police have taken Advik Shrivastava, the primary suspect in the case of a Nepali student’s death at the KIIT in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, into custody.
They have also arrested two university security guards for allegedly abusing Nepali students during the forced evacuation of their dorms after the event.
The tragic case centers around the untimely death of 20-year-old Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year Computer Science student at KIIT University. She was found dead in her hostel room in what police suspect to be a suicide.
According to reports, Lamsal had allegedly faced harassment from 21-year-old Shrivastava, a third-year Mechanical Engineering student. Following a complaint, Shrivastava was arrested on Monday and is now in judicial custody.
Authorities have seized documents and electronic devices as part of their ongoing investigation, the Bhubaneswar Police Commissionerate stated in a press release.
Nepali students treated badly
Many Nepali students sought refuge in Cuttack railway stations after the university compelled them to vacate their dorms. Following intense criticism of the action, KIIT revoked the “sine die” order and urged Nepali students to go back to their dorms.
The institution issued a follow-up statement, deeply apologizing for the incident and announcing the firing of two security personnel involved. It also placed a senior administrative officer from the International Relations Office (IRO) and two senior hostel personnel on leave pending a comprehensive investigation.
Additionally, KIIT apologized for its employees’ conduct, admitting that they made some remarks in a moment of rage.
The institution has established a special control room to facilitate the students’ return and has advised them to get in touch with +918114380770 for help.
A video that went viral showed college administrators reprimanding, harassing, and assaulting Nepali students, which heightened the uproar. The occurrence has raised serious questions about how the university handled the situation and treated overseas students.
Apologies from KIIT authorities
Prof. Saranjit Singh, the vice chancellor of KIIT, formally apologized earlier today, saying, “We are also regretful of the way some of us behaved with the agitating students. We love our students and have never done any disservice to them. The comments made by two of our officers were extremely irresponsible.”
“Although they made the comments in their personal capacity in the spur of the moment, we do not support their actions. We have removed them from service. They too have apologized for their behavior. We also apologize for all that has happened and hereby extend our love and affection to all the students and people of Nepal.”
The apology letter added , “ We love them as much as we love the people of India and the people of the world.” Moreover, we are again appealing to our Nepali students to join our regular academics with immediate effect, it said.
Indian Embassy and Nepali PM concern on KIIT issue
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu sent its condolences to Lamsal’s family and conveyed its profound sadness at her passing. The embassy promised in a press statement on Monday that it was closely coordinating the inquiry with the Odisha state government and KIIT officials.
On Monday, the Nepali Embassy in India also asked KIIT University to provide secure housing in their dorms for the impacted students.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli addressed the matter on the social media site ‘X’ and stated that the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi had dispatched two representatives to guide students and ensure their safety.
Arzu Rana Deuba, the foreign minister, added that Nepal’s foreign ministry has responded to the matter diplomatically right away.
Many people in Nepal are calling for a comprehensive investigation into the terrible death of Prakriti Lamsal. Chair Narayan Prasad Dahal called on the administration to act diplomatically during today’s National Assembly session.
Radheshyam Paswan, Krishna Bahadur Rokaya, Mohammad Khalid, Tula Prasad Bishwakarma, and Tulasa Kumari Dahal were among the parliamentarians who underlined the importance of conducting a thorough investigation into Lamsal’s case.
