Bhubaneswar: After the tragic death of a 20-year-old Nepali B.Tech student at KIIT, protests erupted on campus, only to be met with hostility from university staff.
As Nepalese students demonstrated against the administration’s alleged inaction over the harassment complaints, KIIT officials reportedly yelled at them, telling them to leave the country and go back to Nepal. Protesters accused the administration of gaslighting them instead of addressing their concerns.
The student, who was pursuing a B.Tech in computer science, allegedly endured three years of mental and physical abuse from her boyfriend, a fellow student, before taking her own life in her hostel room on Sunday evening. A preliminary police investigation suggests suicide, and a batchmate has been detained under abetment to suicide charges.
Following the incident, students claimed that the deceased had previously sought help from KIIT’s International Relations Office regarding harassment but received no support. Instead of addressing their concerns, university officials allegedly dismissed the protests, with some making disparaging remarks. When questioned about their response to the suicide, a college representative stated, “We feed 40,000 students for free, which is greater than Nepal’s GDP.” A video of the same is also viral on social media.
Amid the protests, KIIT administration declared a “sine die” for all Nepalese students, ordering them to vacate the campus immediately. Over 500 students were transported to railway stations and asked to return home.
While KIIT maintains that the student’s death was due to personal issues and not harassment, the incident has sparked outrage. Meanwhile, police have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the case.
