BHUBANESWAR: A 20-year-old Nepali student’s alleged suicide on Sunday after reportedly being harassed by a fellow student has sparked tension at KIIT University. The university responded by asking all international students from Nepal to vacate the campus on Monday.
KIIT issued a notice saying, “The university is closed sine die for all the international students from Nepal. They are hereby directed to vacate the university campus immediately today on February 17, 2025.”
The victim was a third year B Tech student and reportedly ended her life by hanging at about 4.30 pm on Sunday when her roommates were away.
The incident led to outrage among other students from Nepal studying in the university who launched a protest by blocking the road in front of the university gate.
The students from Nepal alleged that the victim had reached out to the international relations office in the university and reported about the abuse but no action was initiated. They alleged the university's authorities asked them to vacate the hostels. They also claimed they were dropped off at Cuttack railway station on Monday and hundreds of students could be seen standing in front of the railway station without tickets to travel back home.
The girl's cousin, also a third-year B Tech student of the university, lodged a complaint with Infocity police station in Bhubaneswar in this connection. In his complaint, he mentioned that the accused was blackmailing his sister which forced her to take the extreme step. The accused student reportedly planned to flee and even booked a flight ticket but was nabbed by the police later on Sunday evening.
"A case under section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the BNS was registered against the accused and he was arrested," said an officer of Infocity police station.
KIIT University's registrar Gyana Ranjan Mohanty expressed his grief over the tragic death of the student and attributed it to personal differences with her male friend. "The girl possibly ended her life over some personal dispute with her male friend. Other students from Nepal studying here were agitated but the authorities managed to pacify them and many have left for their homes," he said.
The university's public relations director Shradhanjali Nayak said classes and examinations have been temporarily suspended for the international students.
"The dates to resume classes and hold examinations for the international students will be announced in the coming days," she said.
Nayak refuted allegations that Nepali students were compelled to vacate hostels and forcibly dropped at Cuttack railway station. Those who wanted to stay back in the hostels were allowed to do so, she said.
