Nepalese students at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) are reluctant to return to campus after a mass expulsion and alleged mistreatment in the wake of 20-year-old Prakriti Lamsal’s death. The student was found hanging in her hostel room on Sunday, triggering protests over claims that her pleas for help against alleged blackmail were ignored.
Following the unrest, around 1,000 Nepalese students were abruptly suspended and forced to leave the campus on Monday. Many were reportedly abandoned at Cuttack railway station without basic necessities. However, after intervention from the Central and Odisha state governments, KIIT authorities apologized and urged them to return.
Despite the outreach, many students remain fearful. “We were forcibly taken in buses and dropped near a railway station with no food or water,” said Preeti, a Nepalese student. “Now, they are affectionately asking us to return. How can we trust them?”
On Tuesday, five KIIT officials, including directors, were arrested for harassing Nepalese students, but were granted bail the same evening. Meanwhile, a 21-year-old KIIT student was arrested for allegedly abetting Prakriti’s suicide. Her body is set to be flown back to Nepal, with her grieving family still in Odisha.
Odisha’s Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj acknowledged that many Nepalese students have fled to cities like Kolkata, Patna, and Ranchi, with most reportedly returning to Nepal. The government has yet to disclose how many have returned to KIIT.
In response to public outcry, the Odisha government has set up a high-level committee to probe both the circumstances of Prakriti’s death and the expulsion of Nepalese students. Meanwhile, protests continue outside KIIT, with student groups, political outfits, and activists demanding accountability.
KIIT attempted damage control on X, posting a message of condolence for Prakriti, pledging support for students, and calling for justice. However, the trust deficit between the institution and its Nepalese students remains deep, raising serious concerns about safety, discrimination, and university accountability.
