Bhubaneswar: The Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, saw protests after a 20-year-old engineering student from Nepal was found dead in her hostel room on Sunday evening, Indian Express reported.
The student, pursuing a B.Tech in computer science, is suspected to have died by suicide, according to an initial police investigation. Authorities have detained one of her batchmates from the same university in connection with the case. He is currently being questioned, and an FIR has been registered under abetment to suicide charges.
Following the incident, a police team visited the hostel and sent the body for post-mortem at Capital Hospital before handing it over to the family.
Angered by the situation, Nepalese students at KIIT blocked a road near the campus, accusing university officials of inaction despite the deceased having reported harassment by her batchmate to the International Relations Office.
However, KIIT registrar Jnyana Ranjan Mohanty claimed that the student took the extreme step due to a personal dispute. The university stated that officials promptly informed the police, who detained a male student reportedly in a relationship with the deceased. Police have been deployed on campus to maintain order.
In response to the protests, KIIT declared a “sine die” for all Nepalese students, directing them to vacate the campus immediately on Monday. Over 500 students were transported to railway stations and asked to return home.
The university added that concerns among Nepalese students were discussed with the administration, and following the talks, they have returned to their respective homes. Meanwhile, police have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
