Nepal girl's death in Odisha's KIIT college sparks stir, PM Oli reacts | Key updates
A third-year B.Tech student from Nepal was found dead at the hostel of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Bhubaneswar on Sunday
Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday said the country's embassy in New Delhi dispatched two officers to counsel students who were allegedly forced to evacuate following the death of their Nepalese classmate in Odisha's KIIT University, an incident which sparked protest in the varsity.
Oli also said the concerned Nepalese students will have an option to continue staying in their hostel or return to Nepal based on their preference.
Nepal's embassy in India extended heartfelt condolences to the family members of the deceased student and assured that it remains in touch with KIIT management and the Odisha state government.
Odisha BE student death | What happened
-Nepalese students claimed that a third-year B.Tech student was found dead at the hostel of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.
-The KIIT administration termed the incident “unfortunate” and said the police apprehended the accused. It also claimed that the university has taken “all-out efforts to restore normalcy in the campus and hostels to resume the academic activities.”
-The management also appealed to all Nepali students to return to their campus and resume attending classes.
-Earlier on Monday, the university campus had issued a circular asking Nepalese students to vacate the campus immediately. According to the notice, the institute was “closed sine die for all international students from Nepal.”
-Prof. Jnyana Ranjan Mohanty, the university Registrar, claimed that the management held discussions with protesting students, who accepted their request to leave the campus. “University authorities held a discussion with them, and it was sorted out, and the situation on campus was normal,” he claimed.
-Rajan Gupta, a Nepalese student, alleged that the staff members entered the hostel and forced them to vacate without proper information. “We were protesting for the (deceased) girl. We don't know what their intentions are, but we were forcibly made to vacate the hostel. There is no fixed train schedule, and I have no money. We haven't even had food. We are helpless,” he said.
-Anil Prasad Yadav, another student from Nepal, said that the dharna was staged as they could not get more details on the incident from the university's International Office. “We were there overnight, sitting on a dharna. We were sent back to the hostel from there. We were finally told to pack up and leave within an hour. We have nothing with us. We don't know how we will go. We have not even had food...We are trying to get a ticket,” Yadav said.
-KP Sharma Oli also said that he was made aware of the incident through media reports and assured that his government is in contact with the relevant authorities in India.