KIIT Suicide Case: Police arrest University student, say primary investigation points to Victim's harassment - World News Network

Bhubaneshwar (Odisha) [India], February 17 (ANI): The Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police arrested a student of KIIT University in connection with the alleged death by suicide of a third-year B.Tech student from Nepal who died on Sunday.
The incident also led to protests by students and members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Monday demanding justice.
Speaking on the case, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner Suresh Dev Datta Singh stated that authorities received information about the suicide of a third-year Computer Science student.
“Yesterday evening, we received information about the incident of suicide by a girl student of a third-year Computer Science in KIIT University. On this information, a case was registered. There was an allegation that this girl who belonged to Nepal was harassed by one student of KIIT University in third year Mechanical engineering. We investigated the matter, and we got prima facie evidence that there was some sort of harassment which could have prompted the girl to die by suicide, so we arrested the accused person; we examined him, and today, he has been forwarded to judicial custody”, said the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner Suresh Dev Datta Singh while speaking to ANI.
The Commissioner further said that authorities have seized the victim’s personal belongings, including her mobile phone, which will be sent for forensic examination.
“Yesterday, there was a sentimental, emotional outburst so both students belonging to Nepal, as well as India, joined together in protest against the university authorities, demanding justice. We deployed a police force at KIIT University…they were convinced by morning and now the situation is peaceful.”
“We have seized some personal belongings like a mobile from the girl, and it will be first sent to the forensic science laboratory and then it will be analyzed to gather further evidence in this case…,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said that his government has taken cognizance of the incident and is pursuing the matter with India through diplomatic channels.
“It has come to our attention through media and social media that a Nepali student has died in the hostel of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Odisha, India, and that Nepali students have been forcibly evicted from the hostel,” Oli said in a statement posted on his Facebook account.
“Our Embassy in New Delhi has dispatched two officers to counsel Nepali students affected in Odisha,” Oli said in a post on X.
“Additionally, arrangements have been made to ensure they have the option to either remain in their hostel or return home, based on their preference,” he said.
Notably, a third-year BTech student from Nepal was found hanging from the ceiling fan of her room at the girl’s hostel room on February 15 evening.
An FIR was filed at the Infocity police station of Bhubaneswar on February 16 on the complaint of the cousin of the deceased girl alleging that the latter was being blackmailed by a male student at the university, which led her to hang herself. The police have lodged a case under Section 108 of the BNS.
Students primarily of Nepali origin took out a protest demanding the arrest of the boy they claimed was responsible for abusing the girl and thus leading to her suicide.
The KIIT University on Monday evening issued a statement appealing to Nepali students “who have or plan to leave the campus to return and resume the classes.”
“There was an unfortunate incident which took place late in the evening yesterday on the KIIT campus. Immediately after the incident, police investigated the matter and apprehended the culprit.
“The KIIT administration has taken all-out efforts to restore normalcy in the campus and hostels to resume the academic activities,” the University said in a statement today.
Prior to this the Odisha University had issued a notice which reportedly said that the varsity was “closed sine die for all international students from Nepal” and there were directed to vacate the university campus.
Students stated that they were visibly distressed and anxious as they don’t have necessary tickets to return home. Some even claimed that they were preparing for examinations which are set to start from the last week of February. (ANI)

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