Tue Feb 18 10:12:01 UTC 2025: ## Nepali Student’s Death at KIIT Sparks Protest, Arrest Made
**Bhubaneswar, Odisha:** The death of a Nepali student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar has sparked outrage and protests on campus. Prakriti Lamasal, a third-year B.Tech student, was found dead in her hostel on Sunday evening. Police have arrested a fellow Indian student, reportedly her boyfriend, on charges of abetment to suicide following a complaint filed by the deceased’s cousin.
The arrest followed protests by Nepali students who alleged that the arrested student had been harassing Lamasal and that the university administration had failed to act on their complaints, even allegedly trying to suppress the matter. A purported audio recording of a heated phone conversation between Lamasal and the arrested student, containing abusive language, has gone viral on social media.
Further fueling the controversy, social media posts allege the university administration had attempted to cover up the incident, claiming Lamasal was molested in the central library before her death and her body was then moved to her room to stage a suicide. These claims also include allegations that the university confiscated the phones of approximately 800 students to prevent them from discussing the incident and forcibly evicted Nepali students from the campus. The university denies these allegations, stating the eviction was due to escalating tensions. The university has suspended some administrative staff and dismissed two security personnel.
Nepal’s Prime Minister has sent two officials to Odisha to investigate the matter. The university has since appealed to the Nepali students to return to campus, assuring their safety with increased police presence. The investigation into Lamasal’s death is ongoing. The separate incident reported in Andhra Pradesh of a mother and aunt murdering and dismembering a son is not directly related to this story.
First Piper 