Kathmandu [Nepal]:Nepal’s Foreign Minister, Arzu Rana Deuba, held a telephonic conversation with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, urging the removal of teachers and staff who allegedly misbehaved with Nepali students at KIIT University following the tragic death of a Nepali student earlier this week.
भारतको ओडिसास्थित केआईआईटी विश्वविद्यालयमा नेपाली विद्यार्थी प्रकृति लम्सालको मृत्यु र त्यसपछि विकसित घटनाक्रमबारे आज मैले ओडिसाका मुख्यमन्त्री श्री मोहन चरण माझीसँग फोनमा कुराकानी गरेँ । उहाँसँग मैले लम्सालको मृत्युको निष्पक्ष अनुसन्धान र दोषीमाथि कानुनी कारबाहीका साथै त्यहाँ… pic.twitter.com/At4DEjYEQd
— Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba (@Arzuranadeuba) February 22, 2025
In a post on X, Foreign Minister Deuba stated,
“Today, I spoke to Odisha Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi over the phone regarding the death of Nepali student Prakriti Lamsal at KIIT University in Odisha, India, and the developments that have developed since then. I have urged him to conduct a fair investigation into Lamsal’s death and take legal action against the culprits, as well as to ensure a safe environment for Nepali students studying there.”
She further added,
“I urged him to take the initiative to remove the teachers and staff who misbehaved with Nepali students from the college, not temporarily, but permanently. Since the college has also formed a committee on this issue and diplomatic staff from the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi are deployed there, I also urged Chief Minister Shri Majhi to coordinate with them. He informed me that the state of Odisha has taken this incident seriously and has started work by forming a high-level investigation committee to bring Prakriti to justice and take action against the culprits.”
Protests and Response
Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year B.Tech student from Nepal, was found dead in her hostel room at KIIT, reportedly by suicide. Following her death, Nepali-origin students protested, demanding the arrest of the individual allegedly responsible for her harassment, which they claim led to her tragic decision.
On February 17, over 500 Nepali students were forced to leave the KIIT campus in Bhubaneswar, but the institution later retracted its decision and invited them back.
On February 19, Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi urged Nepali students to return to the campus and resume their studies. His office released a statement assuring justice in the case:
“Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi spoke with Nepali Counsellors Shri Sanjeeb Das Sharma and Navin Raj Adhikari, assuring them that justice will be served in the case of the deceased KIIT student, Prakriti. He also assured that peace and normalcy would be restored on the KIIT campus.”
A meeting was also held at the State Guest House, attended by Nepalese officials, Odisha ministers Mukesh Mahaling and Suryabanshi Suraj, and Odisha Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja to discuss the matter.
On Saturday’s phone call, Chief Minister Majhi reassured Foreign Minister Deuba that the Odisha government is committed to providing all necessary support to ensure the safety of Nepali students.
Foreign Minister Deuba reiterated,
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi are working in coordination with the Odisha government, university administration, and Indian security officials to ensure a safe environment for Nepali students.”