The National Human Rights Commission held KIIT University responsible for a Nepalese student’s suicide in Bhubaneswar after her sexual harassment complaint was mishandled.

BHUBANESWAR: The National Human Rights Commission has held KIIT deemed to be university responsibile in the reported suicide of a Nepalese student in Bhubaneswar last month, disclosed the panel’s report on Friday.
The commission has requested an action taken report from Odisha’s chief secretary within four weeks.
According to the NHRC‘s documentation, the deceased student had registered a sexual harassment complaint on March 12, 2024, at KIIT’s International Relations Office against another student.
The commission noted that university authorities failed to address the situation appropriately.
The computer science third-year student was discovered deceased in her hostel room at KIIT campus on February 16.
Her death triggered substantial protests, with numerous Nepalese students claiming forced removal from campus after demonstrating against the institution’s negligence. The incident led Nepal Prime minister K P Sharma Oli to utilise diplomatic channels in India to seek justice.
The NHRC’s documentation states: “As per the statements of the university registrar and IRO officials, after receiving the complaint, they further referred/informed to disciplinary committee officials. The committee officials directed Advik Shrivastava to delete all nude photographs of the victim and did not take necessary steps which are required to be taken but they disposed of the matter in a very casual manner.”
The order indicates: “It is evident that the conduct of the IRO and university officers/disciplinary committee and college authorities sufficient to show that there is gross negligence and omission on their part IRO and university authorities which may be treated amount to act of abetment to commit suicide on the part of the university officials, which finally resulted in her suicide.”
The NHRC expressed concern over the university’s handling of protests by Nepalese students seeking justice. “The university officials have admitted the fact that almost 1000-1100 students had left their hostel on February 17, 2025. Almost 180 girl students left the hostel in such a haste which may have led to some other untoward incident. The college authorities did not bother safety of girl students and they were thrown out from campus. Regrettably, the university was unrepentant and even had the audacity to reply that there had been no merit in the allegations. This manifests sheer insensitivity, if not downright arrogance.”
The directive states: “The chief secretary, Odisha, is directed to submit action taken report in the matter within four weeks. The commissioner of police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack, is directed to submit updated investigation report. Let the chairman, UGC, New Delhi, consider initiating requisite action against the KIIT University.”