Odisha govt panel summons KIIT founder over Nepalese student's death

Expediting its inquiry into the alleged suicide of a girl student and subsequent action against other Nepalese pupils, the Odisha government's high-level committee summoned KIIT (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology) founder Achyuta Samanta for a personal appearance before it on Friday, 21 February.

The higher education department, in a letter to Samanta on Thursday, said, "You are requested to appear before the high-level committee on 21.02.2025 at 6.30 pm at State Guest House to adduce evidence with adequate documentary evidence before the committee on the term of reference as stated in the office order."

The three-member committee headed by home department additional chief secretary Satyabrata Sahu is mandated to ascertain the circumstances leading to the suicide, alleged high-handed action by institute authorities, reasons for issuing notice to only a specific group of students, and closing the institute sine die for them and other incidental matters that emerged during the inquiry.

The committee, also comprising the secretaries of the higher education department and women and child development (WCD), visited the KIIT campus on Wednesday and held a discussion with some of the Nepalese students who were allegedly mistreated by the staff of the private institute for staging a demonstration on the campus.

Higher education minister Suryabanshi Suraj said, "The high-level committee is empowered to summon anyone for the purpose of inquiry into the matter. The committee is functioning on the basis of law."

Noting that the state government is committed to protecting the interests of students, the minister said, "The state government has also spoken to officials of the Nepal embassy and apprised the students about the developments," he said.

The unrest in KIIT began after the alleged suicide of 20-year-old Prakriti Lamsal, a student from Nepal, on Sunday afternoon. Other Nepalese students staged an agitation and demanded justice.

Allegedly annoyed by the demonstration, the KIIT authorities issued suspension notices to about 1,000 Nepalese students and asked them to leave the campus on Monday.

Commissioner of police S. Dev Datta Singh, meanwhile, said the police have obtained a three-day remand of a 21-year-old engineering student, who was arrested on charges of abetting the woman's suicide.

The student was arrested at the Biju Patnaik international airport in Bhubaneswar while attempting to flee the city on Sunday evening, hours after the woman's death. He has been accused of blackmailing and verbally abusing her.

Following the intervention of the Central and state governments and an angry outburst from Nepal's Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, KIIT authorities had tendered an apology and requested the Nepalese students to return to campus. The state government has reportedly set up a round-the-clock help desk to facilitate the Nepalese students' safe return.