KIIT Reverses Eviction Order For Nepali Students After Protests Over Suicide, As Issue Takes Diplomatic Turn—What We Know So Far

The alleged suicide of 20-year-old Nepali student, Prakriti Lamsal, at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) has ignited widespread protests, diplomatic intervention, and scrutiny after the third-year BTech student, was found dead in her hostel room on 16 February.

Allegations suggest she was harassed and blackmailed by a fellow student, Advik Srivastava, a 21-year-old from Lucknow. According to a complaint filed by Lamsal’s cousin, Siddhant Sigdel, she had been subjected to continuous harassment by Srivastava, which allegedly drove her to take her own life, Business Standard reported.

The FIR states that she had reported the harassment to KIIT’s International Relations Office (IRO), yet the university only issued a warning instead of taking firm action.

Unverified social media posts have claimed that Lamsal was being blackmailed. Additionally, an audio clip surfaced online, allegedly capturing a male voice verbally abusing and harassing her.

On the night of 16 February, police detained Srivastava outside Biju Patnaik International Airport, with reports suggesting he was attempting to leave Bhubaneswar. A flight ticket dated 16 February bearing his name further fuelled speculation that he was trying to flee after Lamsal’s death.

He has since been arrested and booked under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for abetment of suicide. Authorities have also seized Lamsal’s mobile phone and laptop for forensic analysis.

Following Lamsal’s death, over 500 Nepali students erupted in protest, blocking roads and accusing KIIT of ignoring her complaints. The university responded by ordering all Nepali students to vacate the campus indefinitely on 17 February.

Adding to the outrage, reports surfaced of university officials making racially insensitive remarks. One administrator allegedly compared KIIT’s expenditure on students to Nepal’s national budget, a statement reportedly caught on video.

The eviction of Nepali students quickly escalated into a diplomatic issue, prompting Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to raise concerns. In a statement on Facebook and X, he condemned the "forced eviction" and urged the Indian government to intervene.

In response, the Odisha government stepped in, instructing KIIT to reverse its decision. The university then issued a statement urging Nepali students to return and assuring them that academic activities would resume as normal.

The Nepalese Embassy in New Delhi dispatched two officers to counsel affected students and ensure their safety. Meanwhile, Odisha’s Higher Education Minister, Suryabanshi Suraj, admitted that the eviction should not have happened, promising that the matter was being handled with utmost seriousness.

Authorities continue to investigate the case, with police analysing Lamsal’s electronic devices to verify allegations of blackmail.

KIIT maintains that Lamsal and Srivastava were in a relationship and that the suicide was possibly due to a personal dispute. However, this version has been strongly refuted by both protesting students and Lamsal’s family.