Suspended KIIT Staff’s Public Apology Over Remarks On Nepali Students
Following the death of a Nepali student at Odisha’s Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), the state government has constituted a high-level committee to investigate the matter. Led by the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of the Home Department, the committee will also include the Principal Secretary of the Women & Child Development Department and the Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Higher Education Department.
“In light of the recent unfortunate incident relating to KIIT University, the Government of Odisha has taken immediate cognizance of the matter and taken steps to arrest security guards and suspend erring officials involved,” stated a press note issued on 18th February. The statement also confirmed that KIIT has been placed under notice, and legal action will be taken based on the committee’s findings.
Also Read | KIIT University: A Student Suicide, A Call Recording, And Protests
The controversy erupted after 20-year-old Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year B-Tech student from Nepal, was found dead in her hostel room on 16th February. The incident triggered student protests on campus, which escalated further when videos surfaced showing KIIT staff making derogatory remarks about Nepali students.
In one viral clip, Manjusha Pandey, an Associate Professor at the School of Computer Engineering, and Jayanti Nath, Joint Director of the Girls’ Hostel & Student Affairs, were heard telling Nepali students to “pack their bags and leave.” One of them also stated, “The man is feeding 40,000 students for free. Such an amount would even be more than your country’s entire budget.”
As backlash grew, KIIT took disciplinary action by suspending three officials, including two hostel staffers and a security officer. The university also apologised, stating, “The comments made by two of our officers were extremely irresponsible. Although they were made in a personal capacity in the heat of the moment, we do not support their actions.”
Both Pandey and Nath later issued public apologies. Pandey shared a video on social media saying, “I deeply regret my words and sincerely apologise to the Nepalese community.” Nath, in a written statement, said, “My intention was never to offend or demean anyone. However, my words were a reaction to being called corrupt and poor during the protest. My response was meant to defend, not demean.”
Also Read | NSUI Demands Justice For Nepali Student’s Death At KIIT University
Meanwhile, Odisha’s government has taken note of the alleged use of force against protesting students by ‘private individuals.’ Videos of KIIT security and staff clashing with students have also gone viral.
Amid the growing uproar, KIIT initially issued a notice directing all Nepali students—over 500—to vacate the campus. However, after intervention from Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who dispatched two officers to counsel affected students, the university rescinded the order and called them back.
On the legal front, police have taken Advik Srivastava into custody on allegations of abetment to suicide. His mobile phone has been seized as evidence, and he remains in judicial custody as investigations continue.
