NEW DELHI: Parents of a deceased Nepalese student arrived at AIIMS hospital mortuary in Bhubaneswar after their daughter was found dead at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) on Thursday evening.
This marks the second death of a student from a neighboring country at the institute within three months, prompting the University Grant Commission to form a fact-finding committee.
The mother of the deceased student expressed her distress, stating, “We received information (about her demise) at 8pm.”
The father shared that he had spoken with his daughter earlier that day, saying, “On the day of the incident, we had a telephone conversation with her at 3pm. She talked to us nicely.”
Bhubaneswar Police Commissioner Suresh Dev Datta Singh addressed the case on Friday. “Prima facie, it appears to be a suicide case, as she was found in a hanging position inside a locked room. All evidence has been collected. The body has been sent to AIIMS for post-mortem. An investigation is underway. I have spoken to the Nepali embassy. Police arrangements have been made outside KIIT University, where the situation is normal,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Jagmohan Meena provided additional details about the discovery. “During the investigation, it was found that when the hostel warden was taking evening attendance, one student did not respond. On checking, the girl was found hanging inside her room. She was immediately shifted to a local hospital. The body is now kept at AIIMS, and the girl’s parents have been informed. The girl hailed from Nepal. She was studying B.Tech and was in her first year. No note was found in the girl’s room,” he explained.
The UGC has established a four-member fact-finding committee chaired by Nageshwar Rao, Vice Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University.
The committee includes Shashikala Wanjari, Vice-Chancellor of the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, and HCS Rathore, Former Vice Chancellor of Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, as members.
Sunita Siwach, Joint Secretary of UGC, will serve as the coordination officer.
The committee’s primary responsibilities include examining the circumstances surrounding these incidents, ensuring compliance with student welfare and safety regulations, and suggesting preventive measures.
This incident follows the suicide of another Nepali student, Prakriti Lamsal, at the same university in February.