On February 16, a Nepali student, Prakriti Lamsal, studying at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar, India, was found dead under suspicious circumstances. India’s National Human Rights Commission has ordered a high-level investigation into the case.
On February 28, the commission directed the Director General (Investigation) to send a team from its investigation and legal departments to conduct an on-site probe at KIIT. The team must submit its report by March 10, 2025.
Additionally, the commission has instructed the investigation team to look into issues such as the exploitation of tribal students and illegal land acquisition by the institution.
A complaint was filed with the commission alleging that Lamsal faced harassment from her boyfriend, Advik Srivastava, and that the university’s International Relations Office (IRO) ignored her complaints.
After Lamsal’s death, Nepali students at the university protested, demanding justice. However, the complaint states that local authorities and security guards responded with verbal abuse, threats, and even physical assault. The complaint also accuses the university’s social sciences institute of exploiting tribal children, violating their rights, and illegally acquiring land, urging further investigation.
Given the seriousness of the issue, the commission has now instructed its Registrar (Law) to move forward with the investigation at KIIT. The investigation team includes two officers from the investigation department, a senior police officer, and a legal department representative. The team is expected to submit its findings by March 2025.
In response, KIIT stated that it had immediately handed the case over to the police for a thorough investigation and had taken action against those responsible. The university also claimed that over 400 Nepali students had returned to campus, feeling satisfied with the security measures taken.
Although KIIT’s Vice-Chancellor and Registrar publicly apologized, the university expressed concern over the continued negative campaigns against KIIT, KISS (Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences), and its founder, Achyuta Samanta.
