New Delhi: Screams of students pierced the hall Thursday evening when the camera scanned inside the hotel room of a first-year student at Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT). Prisha Sah, the B.Tech student from Nepal, was found hanging in her room at KIIT’s Queens Castle-4 hostel.
The computer science student’s case comes in less than three months after another Nepalese girl, Prakriti Lamsal, ended life in her hostel room, a case that has sparked widespread protests and required the intervention of the topmost level of the Indian government
“We can’t understand what happened. She deleted all her social media before she took her own life… she seemed alright before it,” a third-year Nepalese student told ThePrint over the phone.
Prisha was a resident of ward 8 of Kabilasi Municipality in Nepal’s Sarlahi district, The Kathmandu Post reported, adding that her parents and brother left for Odisha on Friday for carrying out formalities to take the body back home.
In a statement the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a statement in which it extended condolences to the family of Prisha.
“The MEA has been in constant touch with the Odisha State Government since we became aware of the tragic incident. The State Government of Odisha has extended full support to the family of the deceased, and a thorough enquiry is currently being conducted by the Odisha Police,” it said, adding that the government takes the safety, security and well-being of all international students very seriously.
“We remain in close contact with the Nepali authorities, the Odisha State Government as well as KIIT management to ensure real-time communication and coordination in this matter,” it said.
The Nepal Embassy put out a post on ‘X’ saying its officials were closely coordinating with the MEA, the Odisha government, the police and the KIIT university for a thorough investigation.
Fear and uncertainty have gripped the students from Nepal as the memories of the crackdown by the private university in February are still fresh in their minds. Hundreds of Nepalese students were evicted from their hostels after they protested the death of Prakriti. This act had caused a diplomatic row between India and Nepal, and the university had made several efforts to get their Nepalese students back on campus.
Though in mental distress after yet another suicide, the Nepalese students don’t plan a protest against the university for now. “Last night, things were manged procedurally. Police came, forensic investigation was done, and the body was moved to the KIMS hospital. Earlier, suicides were not reported like this by the university. Now that things are being handled properly, we don’t plan to protest,” the above-mentioned student told ThePrint.
Later in the day, the University Grants Commission (UGC) set up a fact-finding committee to look into student suicides at KIIT. The panel—headed by Nageshwar Rao, former vice-chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)—was directed to submit its report within 10 days.
‘A quiet girl’
When the daily 7 p.m. attendance was being taken at the Queens Castle-4 hostel, Prisha was missing. When nobody could reach her, the warden decided to check her room, her classmates said.
“Prisha’s roommates aren’t here because exams of second- and third-year students have concluded and they’re on leave. So, we broke open the door and found her hanging from the fan,” a first-year Nepalese student said.
“She was a quiet, shy girl and didn’t have many friends. But she looked fine, and we never noticed any signs of distress.”
The student said they were obviously disturbed by the turn of events involving their batchmate, but didn’t wish to speak anymore on the topic.
The Nepalese students ThePrint spoke to said that the behaviour of teachers and college authorities has improved significantly since the controversy surrounding Prakriti’s suicide.
The local police told ThePrint that an investigation was currently underway. “The student’s body was found hanging from a ceiling fan. She was taken to KIIMS hospital for treatment where she was declared dead,” a senior police officer told ThePrint.
A forensic team had reached the spot, the officer said, adding that a forensic analysis of the student’s devices would be done.
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanungoo took note of the KIIT suicide on ‘X’.
“In a similar incident last month, the NHRC investigated and issued its recommendations, pointing to procedural lapses in ensuring the safety of students. However, the University approached the Hon’ble Odisha High Court and the Court stayed the recommendations of the Commission. We are taking cognizance of the recent incident,” he posted.
Back at KIIT’s Queens Castle 4 hostel, the Nepalese students concede that the past three months have been quite tense as they have lost two batchmates. “Shaam ko 7 baje suicide hua hai. B.Tech kar rahi thi (The suicide happened at & 7 in the evening. She was pursuing B.Tech). We don’t understand…in the first-year, there’s no pressure; you’re new,” one of the students said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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