KIIT Nepali student's heartbreaking last call to her mother before tragedy: 'Heading to the fest'
The tragic suicide of 20-year-old Prakriti Lamsal at KIIT has sparked protests among Nepalese students and concerns about their safety. Her family is mourning, while authorities have arrested six suspects
Prakriti Lamsal, a 20-year-old third-year B Tech (Computer Science) student at Odisha's Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), reportedly died by suicide in her hostel room on Sunday afternoon (February 16), sparking unrest on campus.
The development had triggered protests, mostly from Nepalese students, on the college's campus in Bhubaneswar.
Student unions affiliated with the Nepali Congress, CPN-Maoist Center and CPN-Unified Socialist also staged protests in various locations in Kathmandu, shouting slogans for the safety and security of Nepali students currently in India.
Following the incident, police have arrested six persons so far, according to the PTI report.
KIIT Nepali student's last call to her mother
Her family is grappling with unimaginable grief after the sudden death of their daughter. The last time they spoke, everything seemed fine. But just hours after a seemingly ordinary phone call, she ended her life ended tragically.
Prakriti's father, who runs a business in the food processing sector, shared, “She called her mother at 2:51 pm on Sunday and sounded completely normal. She mentioned she was heading to the fest and might be unable to take calls for a while due to network issues. Between 5 pm and 5:30 pm on Sunday, we received a call from the university authorities…” News 18 reported.
Police hand over body of KIIT student; to be flown to Nepal
Meanwhile, police handed over the body of the girl to her father, Sunil Lamsal, after a post-mortem examination at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. However, the body has been kept in the mortuary and will be flown to Nepal on Wednesday.
Expressing concern over the safety of international students at the institute, the girl’s father earlier in the day said, "They (KIIT) invited the students to join the institute and assured all safety and security. However, here, things are different. I had sent my daughter for higher studies, but what happened here is not acceptable. I am hopeful of getting justice from the government."
Odisha KIIT death row: Govt forms probe panel
The Odisha government on Tuesday constituted a fact-finding committee to determine the circumstances that led to the 20-year-old Nepali girl’s unnatural death in the KIIT hostel and what prompted the institute to issue suspension letters to students who were seeking justice.
The panel is headed by the additional chief secretary (Home). The other members are secretaries of the higher education and women and child development departments.
On February 16, the third-year BTech student, Prakriti Lamsal, was found dead in her hostel room.
-With agency inputs