2nd in 2+ months: Student from Nepal dies by suicide at Odisha’s KIIT | Bhubaneswar News
BHUBANESWAR: Another Nepalese student was found dead in her hostel room at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar on Thursday, nearly two and a half months after a woman student from the Himalayan nation died, allegedly by suicide, at the same institute.
The death of a 20-year-old student on Feb 16, allegedly after sexual harassment, had snowballed into a major crisis, with the institute being accused of gross negligence and mishandling of the situation. Matters escalated to a point where Nepal’s Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli engaged in diplomatic discussions with India seeking justice for protesting Nepalese students, and the ministry of external affairs had to step in for damage control.
KIIT death: Police rule out any foul play in latest case
Police ruled out any foul play in the latest case, and said the student is suspected to have died by suicide. Bhubaneswar-Cuttack police commissioner S Dev Datta Singh told TOI : “The girl from Nepal died by suicide in her campus hostel. We are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.” A KIIT spokesperson said: “We are cooperating with police in the investigation.”
The 18-year-old Nepalese was a first-year BTech computer science student, police said. Her mobile phone and laptop have been sent to a forensic lab for examination. “The motive behind the suicide is still unclear. Her friends and hostel staff are being questioned,” DCP Jagmohan Meena said.
“Parents of the deceased student have been informed,” a written statement from Odisha’s information and public relations department stated.
The death of two Nepalese students on campus within three months has left students and faculty shocked. After the third-year computer science student’s suicide in Feb, KIIT had come under fire and faced allegations of negligence.
