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Second Nepali Student Death at KIIT Raises Alarms Over Campus Safety
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A Nepali student enrolled at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar was found dead in her hostel room on Thursday evening, in what local authorities suspect to be a case of suicide.
The student, a first-year BTech candidate from Birgunj, Nepal, was discovered around 8:00 p.m. inside her locked room on the fourth floor of one of the girls&rsquo; hostels. According to preliminary reports shared with the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi, the circumstances suggest she may have taken her own life, although no suicide note has been recovered at the scene.
Speaking to&nbsp;The Post, Surendra Thapa, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Nepali Embassy, confirmed the student&rsquo;s identity and said, &ldquo;The room is said to have been locked from inside. The reason is yet to be ascertained.&rdquo;
The university administration promptly informed the local Odisha police, who responded by recovering the body and placing it in the custody of the district administration. Authorities have stated that a post-mortem will be conducted once the student&rsquo;s family arrives in Bhubaneswar.
The police have officially registered the case as one of &lsquo;unnatural death&rsquo;. Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner S. Dev Datta Singh told local reporters that the matter is under investigation. &ldquo;On Thursday evening, during the hostel attendance round at about 7 p.m., the student was found unresponsive. Her room was locked from within,&rdquo; Singh said. &ldquo;Prima facie, no note has been found, but the scientific team is examining the room.&rdquo;
This marks the second such incident at KIIT within a span of less than three months. On 16 February, another Nepali student, Prakriti Lamsal, was also found dead on campus. Her death, which was similarly suspected to be suicide, allegedly followed sustained harassment by a classmate. The Odisha state government had set up an inquiry committee at the time, but its findings have not yet been made public.
The twin incidents have triggered growing concern among the Nepali student community and have raised serious questions about campus safety and student welfare at the university.
In response to Thursday&rsquo;s incident, Nepali Ambassador to India, Shankar Sharma, contacted the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, the Odisha state government, and KIIT administration. Embassy officials remain in close coordination with all relevant authorities.
&ldquo;We are in touch with the college administration, the local police, and the Chief Secretary of Odisha state,&rdquo; said DCM Thapa.
As of Thursday night, the university administration had not released any official statement regarding the incident.
More information is expected following the post-mortem and a formal briefing from KIIT officials on Friday during the day time.

KIIT University campus (source social media)

Second suspected suicide in three months raises concerns over Nepali student safety at KIIT

Nepali Student Found Dead in KIIT Hostel Room

Second suspected suicide in three months raises concerns over Nepali student safety at KIIT

May 2, 2025 | 15:33 IST