Protests rock Bhubaneswar’s KIIT over suicide of female student from Nepal, one detained for alleged abetment

Protests rocked the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology University in Bhubaneswar on Monday after a 20-year-old mechanical engineering girl student of Nepal was found hanging from the ceiling fan of her hostel room on Sunday evening.

Hundreds of students of KIIT University(deemed) blocked the main thoroughfares in front of the college on Monday morning alleging that the authorities turned a deaf ear to the complaints lodged by the deceased student a month ago.

Police officials said prima facie it appeared to be a case of suicide. Bhubaneswar DCP Pinak Mishra said the accused boy Advik Srivastava who allegedly played a role in the abetment of suicide has been detained.

The students alleged that the victim was being harassed by Advik Srivastava for several months and despite reporting the matter to the international relations department of the university, no help came.

Following the incident, Nepali students of the university demanded a thorough investigation and sought the arrest of the accused. As tensions grew, KIIT University issued a notice asking all Nepali students to vacate the campus. The statement read, “The university is closed for all international students from Nepal. They are hereby directed to vacate the university campus today, February 17.

Addressing media persons, KIIT University Registrar Gyana Ranjan Mohanty said the victim was in a relationship with the accused. “She was staying in the hostel and took an extreme step due to a strained equation with her partner. Her room has been sealed and family members informed. Police have arrested the accused,” said Mohanty.

Police said the accused was arrested after a complaint of abetment to suicide was lodged. On the other hand, an audio clip allegedly featuring a conversation between the accused and the victim surfaced on social media. In the clip, a young man was heard abusing and harassing a girl.

To control the situation, the university asked the Nepali students to vacate the hostels forthwith and return home. “Keeping in view the situation, the Nepali students have been sent to their respective homes. The situation presently remains calm,” the university added.

The Nepali students alleged that they were forced to head for their homes without any travel arrangement. “No train tickets or any directions have been provided to us. We were just loaded up on the hostel buses, sent to Cuttack railway station and ordered to leave for our homes at the earliest. The staff members entered the hostel, made us vacate and even hit those who were not vacating quickly,” claimed a student from Nepal.