February 18th 2025.
Recently, there was a tragic incident at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology in Bhubaneswar, leading to the death of a third-year B Tech student, Prakriti Lamsal. She was from Nepal and her father, Sunil Lamsal, arrived at the university after hearing the news. The police conducted a post mortem at AIIMS Bhubaneswar and handed over the body to Sunil, who plans to take it back to Nepal.
The incident caused an uproar on the campus, with students protesting against the university's security personnel and staff for allegedly mistreating and abusing the students. The police have registered two cases - one based on Prakriti's cousin's complaint about her suicide and another regarding the social media video showing the university staff's violent behavior towards the protesting students.
The two security guards involved in the incident, Ramakanta Nayak and Jogendra Behera, have been arrested, and a criminal case has been registered against them. In the video footage, they can be seen assaulting the students who were demanding justice for Prakriti's death.
In response to the incident, the university authorities apologized for the behavior of their staff and promised to take necessary action. However, the students were not satisfied and demanded a personal apology from two female officers who allegedly insulted and mistreated the Nepali students and other hostel inmates. Eventually, the officers, Janati Nath and Manjusha Pande, issued a video apology and the students continued their peaceful protest.
Prakriti's father expressed concern about the safety of international students at the university and said that the institute had promised a safe and secure environment for its students. He also questioned the university's actions of forcibly evicting some Nepali students from the hostel and leaving them at a railway station without making arrangements for their return journey.
The government of Odisha has taken this matter seriously and formed a high-level fact-finding team to investigate the incident. The team, headed by the Additional Chief Secretary, includes secretaries from the higher education and women and child development departments. The state's Higher Education Minister, Suryabanshi Suraj, assured reporters that appropriate legal and administrative action will be taken based on the team's findings. He also expressed the government's commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all students.
The minister also criticized the university for not informing the government about the incident and the subsequent actions taken against the Nepali students. He also questioned the university's decision to evict the students at Cuttack railway station and asked them to bring back all the Nepali students who left the campus out of fear.
The issue was also raised in the state Assembly, with members from all parties expressing concern and demanding action against the university and its founder, Achyuta Samanta. The incident has also caused protests in Nepal, and the country's Prime Minister, K P Sharma Oli, has offered support to the affected students. Officials from the Nepal embassy are expected to visit the institute to investigate the matter.
In a Facebook post, Prime Minister Oli stated that the government is working on the issue through diplomatic channels and is in contact with the relevant authorities. He also expressed sorrow over the incident and assured that the government will take necessary steps to ensure justice for Prakriti and the other affected students.
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