NHRC to probe suicide case of Nepalese girl student at Odisha’s KIIT University

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has ordered an on-spot inquiry into the death of a Nepalese girl student at KIIT University in Odisha and asked its officials to submit a report by March 10.

The NHRC issued the order while acting on a complaint that the 20-year-old student died by suicide in her hostel room in KIIT University on February 16 afternoon. The commission said that the investigation should be held by the provisions of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.

“Considering the seriousness of the matter, the commission directs the Registrar (Law) to proceed for an inquiry in KIIT University, Bhubaneswar to conduct an on-spot inquiry along with a team consisting of two officers from the investigation division, one not below the rank of SSP and one officer/official from Law Division, and submit its inquiry report to the Commission by 10th March, 2025,” the NHRC order said.

The complainant, Ashutosh B, in his petition, alleged that the Nepalese student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University, faced harassment by her “ex-boyfriend” and that the university’s International Relations Office (IRO) had neglected her complaints that ended in her suicide.

He also alleged that protests by Nepalese students, who sought justice in the incident, were met with verbal abuse, threats, and physical assault by KIIT officials and security guards.

The petitioner also urged the commission to take action against KIIT officials, including founder Achyuta Samanta, for their “failure to address harassment complaints and their involvement in the exploitation of tribal students”.

The police have so far arrested the main accused, a batchmate of the deceased on the charge of abetment, and he has been in judicial custody since February 17. So far 10 employees of KIIT have been apprehended on the charge of physical assault, verbal abuse and eviction of Nepalese students from the hostel for staging protests.

The state government has set up a high-level committee to probe into the KIIT incident. Though the Odisha government and KIIT authorities have urged the Nepalese students to return to campus, more than half of the students are yet to return citing safety concerns.

Meanwhile, members of the Congress Minority Cell on Tuesday staged a protest in front of the KIIT University in Bhubaneswar demanding justice for the deceased Nepali girl. They had a scuffle with the police when some of them tried to enter the University premises. Traffic in the area was halted for an hour and hundreds of vehicles were stranded on both sides of the road due to the protest.