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Odisha: Tribal student’s death at KISS sparks protest, family alleges foul play
KISS is a sister concern of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), which has reported at least three alleged suicides, including two by Nepalese women students
Bhubaneswar: A 14-year-old tribal student of the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) was found dead under mysterious circumstances, triggering a protest in Keonjhar district on Saturday as his family and relatives alleged murder and demanded a thorough investigation.
KISS is a sister concern of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), which has reported at least three alleged suicides, including two by Nepalese women students.
The Class IX student from a village in Keonjhar Town police station area died on Friday after being admitted to KIMS Medical College and Hospital in Bhubaneswar. His family staged a demonstration with the body outside the Keonjhar Collectorate, alleging that the institute authorities concealed facts and failed to provide medical records explaining the cause of death.
According to the police complaint filed by the boy’s father, KISS authorities contacted him on Friday morning, informing him that his son had fallen sick and was admitted to hospital. Some accounts suggested the boy had slipped in a bathroom and fractured his leg.
“When I reached the hospital in Bhubaneswar in the evening, the doctor declared my son dead and sent the body to the village in an ambulance. I found some marks on my son’s neck. I am yet to receive the medical report, nor have I been informed about it,” the father stated in his complaint.
The family alleged that neither KISS authorities nor KIMS hospital provided medical treatment papers, discharge summaries, or any written explanation regarding the boy’s death. They further claimed that no post-mortem examination was conducted before the body was handed over.
The family questioned how a student reported to have suffered a leg fracture could die within hours without any formal medical briefing or documentation being provided to the parents.
Keonjhar Town police station inspector-in-charge Srikant Sahu confirmed that a Zero FIR has been lodged and forwarded to Bhubaneswar’s Infocity police station, under whose jurisdiction the incident occurred. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination.
Keonjhar deputy tahsildar Durgesh Kalyan Pradhan said the administration acted following the protest. “We came to know that the incident happened at an institute in Bhubaneswar. The family brought the body here. We have sent the body for a post-mortem. Further procedures will follow as per the law,” he said.
The agitators withdrew the demonstration after the FIR was registered and assurances were given by the administration.
KISS authorities did not react to the allegations of the parents. No official statement were issued by KISS authorities or KIMS Medical College and Hospital addressing the allegations or the sequence of events.
