- By Kamakshi Bishnoi
- Wed, 19 Feb 2025 11:03 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
The suicide of a Nepali student at KIIT University in Bhubaneswar has sparked serious concerns within the Nepalese government. In response to the incident, Nepal’s Ministry of Education is contemplating a suspension of the issuance of No Objection Certificates (NOC) for their students applying to universities and educational institutions in Odisha.
The deceased, identified as Prakriti Lamsal (20), a third-year BTech (Computer Science) student at KIIT, was reportedly harassed by her batchmate and ex-boyfriend Advik Srivastava. She died by suicide after allegedly being tortured and blackmailed by Srivastava.
Odisha Police handed over the body of the Nepali student to her father after performing a post-mortem at AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.
In response to the incident, a large group of students staged a protest and demanded justice for her. Videos of the protest went viral on social media with allegations surfacing that security personnel and faculty members at KIIT misbehaved with Nepali students involved in the demonstrations. Following this, the director of the girls' hostel and the associate professor of the computer science department were suspended. Meanwhile, Odisha Police confirmed that a criminal case has been registered against Advik Srivastava, who has since been arrested and placed in judicial custody.
"A help desk has been set up to facilitate effective resolution of problems arising out of this incident. The ministry is continuously making diplomatic efforts through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure a conducive environment for resuming the studies of Nepalese students," news agency PTI quoted Nepal's Ministry of Education as saying.
This issue was further discussed in the Parliament of Nepal, where several MPs including Shishir Khanal, Bina Lama, Sita Mijar, Sher Bahadur Kunwar and Shanti Bika, have raised concerns over the safety of Nepali students in India.
Nepal’s Prime Minister, KP Sharma Oli, addressed the issue on the social media platform X, announcing that two officials from the Nepal Embassy in India have been dispatched to Odisha to assist Nepali students. He assured that students have the option to either continue staying in their hostels or return home, based on their preferences.
Additionally, Nepal’s Foreign Minister, Arju Rana Deuba, stated that the government is in ongoing discussions with India’s Ministry of External Affairs. She emphasised that the Indian government has assured Nepal of taking necessary measures to ensure the safety and well-being of Nepali students
