Bhubaneswar: KIIT founder Achyuta Samanta was on Friday questioned for nearly two hours by the govt’s three-member committee probing the death of a Nepalese student and subsequent harassment of other students from the Himalayan nation in the institute recently. Seven other senior KIIT officials, including three who have been suspended, were also questioned separately. Neither Samanta, a former BJD MP, nor others spoke to the media.
The development comes on a day the Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement on the alleged assault of Nepalese students. Addressing the media, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of the Nepali student. We convey our heartfelt condolences. Govt of India accords high priority, safety, security and well being of all international students in the country. MEA has been in constant touch with the Odisha government and KIIT authorities since the matter came to light. We have also maintained close contact with the Nepalese authority.”
The alleged assault of Nepalese students continued to rock the assembly with opposition BJD and Congress MLAs staging a walkout in protest against the state govt’s supposedly inept handling of the situation that had emerged following the death of a student at the university.
The charge was denied by higher education minister Suryabanshi Suraj, who stated that the govt had promptly intervened and took several measures to resolve the crisis. He was responding to an adjournment motion moved by Congress MLAs Rama Chandra Kadam, C S Raazen Ekka, and Ashok Das.
Terming the treatment meted out to Nepalese students as ‘barbaric’, the minister promised strict action against those responsible for the student’s suicide and subsequent harassment of Nepalese students. Suraj also dismissed suggestions that external pressures delayed action against perpetrators.
“If necessary, the state will also consider rescheduling their mid-semester examinations. The govt will pay special attention to ensure that Nepalese students do not face any reprisals from KIIT in the future,” the minister said in the assembly.
Dissatisfied with Suraj’s response, opposition members exited the assembly, calling for a judicial investigation into the KIIT incident.
“Unlike the previous govt, we are committed to ensuring that action would be taken against those responsible, in accordance with the law and the findings of the investigation. In the previous govt, law and criminals were going their own ways,” Suraj told reporters outside the assembly.
The minister explained that while police are investigating criminal aspects, the govt committee is examining institutional failures, including the selective eviction notices to Nepalese students, their assault, and their abandonment at railway stations without safety provisions. Suraj assured that bilateral relations between India and Nepal would remain unaffected, citing appreciation from Nepalese officials, including their foreign affairs minister, for Odisha’s prompt response.