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The Odisha govt has set up a three-member committee, led by Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department Satyabrata Sahu, which aims to determine the circumstances leading to the student’s death
Increased security measures were in place as students returned to classes in large numbers on Thursday at KIIT (IMAGE: X)
The Odisha government has summoned Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) founder Achyuta Samanta to appear before it on Friday, February 21, 2025, at 6:30 pm. Samanta is expected to provide evidence and documentation related to the incident, reported PTI.
The three-member committee, led by Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department Satyabrata Sahu, aims to determine the circumstances leading to the student’s death as well as the alleged mistreatment of several Nepalese students. The committee, which also includes secretaries from the Higher Education and Women and Child Development departments, visited the KIIT campus on Wednesday to meet with some of the affected Nepalese students, the report added.
Five More Staff Members Arrested
Police in Bhubaneswar have also arrested five more staff members bringing the total number of arrests to 11. The five staff members were identified from CCTV footage showing the alleged assault on students as they were moving out of the hostel on Monday. The accused reportedly demanded the students vacate immediately and proceeded to physically assault them. A local court has denied bail to the accused and remanded them to judicial custody for 14 days. Earlier, five other KIIT employees were arrested and later released on bail.
Classes Resume At KIIT
Meanwhile, KIIT is gradually returning to normalcy after the alleged suicide of a 20-year-old Nepalese student. Increased security measures were in place as students returned to classes in large numbers on Thursday.
The campus unrest began on Sunday following the death of Prakriti Lamsal, who allegedly died by suicide. Protests erupted, leading to the suspension of around 1,000 Nepalese students and their expulsion from the campus on Monday.
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Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh confirmed the arrest and three-day remand of a 21-year-old engineering student accused of abetting Lamsal’s suicide. The accused, apprehended at Biju Patnaik International Airport while attempting to flee, faces allegations of blackmail and verbal abuse.
Voice spectrography tests will be conducted as part of the investigation. Police have seized mobile phones and laptops belonging to both the deceased and the accused for forensic analysis.
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