Eleven months prior to her death by suicide at the KIIT campus in Bhubaneswar in February, a 20-year-old student from Nepal had lodged a sexual harassment complaint with the university, Odisha’s Higher Education Minister Suryavanshi Suraj revealed on Friday.
In response to a query from Congress MLA Dasarathi Gamango in the state assembly, the Higher Education Minister stated in a written reply that, according to information from KIIT, the student had submitted the sexual harassment complaint on March 12, 2024.
“The high-level committee formed by the state government has been probing the matter in detail. The university has stated that they have formed an internal committee as per UGC guidelines,” the minister informed the House.
The third-year engineering student from Nepal was found dead in her hostel room on February 16. The incident sparked protests at the institute, primarily led by Nepalese students, and escalated into a diplomatic dispute.
A batchmate of the woman has been arrested in connection with her death. It is alleged that months before her passing, she had reported the man’s misbehavior to the university, but both were reportedly pressured to settle the matter and move on.
In the investigation conducted by a high-level committee led by an additional chief secretary, the Higher Education Minister stated that 19 individuals have appeared before the committee and given their statements.
The state government has tasked the high-level committee with investigating the circumstances surrounding the alleged suicide. The committee will also examine whether the university addressed the grievances raised by the deceased student, allegations of highhandedness by authorities toward protesting students, and the reasons behind the eviction notices issued to students from Nepal.
Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year Computer Science student at KIIT, was found dead in her hostel room on February 16, 2025. Reports suggest that she had filed a sexual harassment complaint with university authorities almost a year earlier, on March 12, 2024. Odisha’s higher education minister confirmed this, emphasizing that the university was aware of her grievances prior to her death.
Her father, Sunil Lamsal, has claimed that his daughter, Prakriti, was subjected to emotional blackmail and harassment, which he believes played a role in her tragic decision. He stated that Prakriti had been involved in a toxic relationship with another student at KIIT, which allegedly involved threats and abuse.
In the wake of her death, there was an immediate outcry from both students and the Nepali community. Protests erupted on campus, with many calling for justice for Prakriti and accountability from the university administration. Tensions escalated when reports emerged that Nepali students were being asked to vacate their hostels, intensifying the unrest.
