18-year-old Nepalese girl found dead at KIIT, second in 90 days

On Thursday evening, authorities discovered a Nepalese undergraduate student dead in her hostel room at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar. This marks the second such incident involving a Nepalese student at the university in the past three months.

The student was identified as a first-year Computer Science B.Tech student. She was a native of Birgunj, located approximately 135 km from the Nepalese capital Kathmandu. Police said they discovered her body hanging from the ceiling fan in her room at one of the institute’s girls’ hostels.

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Police and university officials were alerted around 8:00 pm, prompting forensic teams to be dispatched to the scene. Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner Suresh Dev Datta Singh confirmed the recovery of the body and stated that authorities are treating the matter as a suspected suicide, pending the post-mortem examination results.

“Today, we have received information that a girl from Nepal has died by suicide at the KIIT University. We reached there and investigated the matter. Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner Suresh Dev Datta Singh said, “A detailed investigation will be conducted into the matter. The scientific team arrived and collected all necessary details. We have informed her family, and the body has been sent to AIIMS for the post-mortem.”

Security has been increased around the university premises as the incident has raised concerns about the safety and welfare of international students, especially those from Nepal.

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The second such occurrence

This is the second time in less than 90 days that a Nepalese student has died under similar circumstances at KIIT. On February 16, authorities found Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year B.Tech student and a Nepalese national, dead in her hostel room. Ms Lamsal’s death had led to widespread protests from the Nepalese student community and criticism of the university, founded and run by Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and former MP Achyuta Samanta.

In Ms Lamsal’s case, it later emerged that she had filed a formal complaint with the university’s International Relations Office (IRO) alleging sexual harassment by a fellow student. Despite the complaint, the university administration took no immediate action, prompting a strong response from students and civil society groups. The National Human Rights Commission of India had subsequently described the university’s inaction as “gross negligence.” Authorities arrested the accused a day after her death.

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Government Response

Responding to Thursday’s incident, Odisha’s Department of Information and Public Relations issued a statement offering condolences and reaffirming that the state government would ensure a thorough investigation.

The university authorities immediately informed the girl’s parents about the incident. In this hour of distress, the state government extends its support to the family of the deceased and offers its condolences to them,” the statement read. 

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The Foreign Minister of Nepal, Arzu Rana Deuba, also reacted to the incident. In a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), she confirmed that officials had activated diplomatic channels to ensure a transparent investigation.

“Immediately after the incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs initiated diplomatic initiatives to investigate the truth of the incident through high-ranking officials of the Government of India, the Government of Odisha, and the Nepali Embassy in Delhi,” Ms Deuba wrote.

She further expressed condolences to the victim’s family, saying, “The death has deeply saddened us. I pray for eternal peace to her soul and extend heartfelt sympathies to her grieving family.”

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Student Demonstrations

Student bodies and organisations representing the Nepalese community in India described the incident as a “disturbing pattern” of neglect and failure in student welfare at the university.

“We demand an impartial and speedy investigation. This is not an isolated case. Two Nepali girls have died in the same hostel within three months. There must be answers, and if anyone is responsible-whether through action or inaction-they must face consequences,” said Samar Bahadur, a spokesperson for the Akhil Bharat Nepali Ekta Samaj.

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The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a student organisation affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has also called for an independent probe. “This is the second suicide in the same hostel building involving a Nepalese student. The authorities cannot continue to ignore these tragedies. We demand a full investigation and transparency from the university,” a spokesperson for ABVP said in Bhubaneswar.

KIIT University has not issued a formal statement on the death. 

The back-to-back incidents have sparked unrest among the university’s international student community. Groups of students reportedly began gathering late Thursday night and early Friday morning near the hostels, demanding better grievance redressal mechanisms, mental health support, and a safer campus environment. There have been no reports of violence, but a heavy police presence remains deployed around the campus.