Nepal Foreign Affairs Minister expresses grief over death of Nepali student at Odisha’s KIIT University

Bhubaneswar:  The Foreign Affairs Minister of Nepal, Arzu Rana Deuba, on Friday expressed deep grief over the death of a Nepali female student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

She said that after the incident came to light, the Nepal Government has taken steps through diplomatic channels to unravel the truth behind the tragic death of the Nepali student.

“The incident of Prisha Shah, a Nepali student studying at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Odisha, India, being found dead in her hostel room has left us deeply saddened. I pray for the eternal peace of Prisha’s soul and express my deepest condolences to her family at this sad hour,” wrote Deuba.

“Immediately after the incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs initiated diplomatic initiatives to investigate the truth of the incident through high-ranking officials of the Government of India, the Government of Odisha, and the Nepali Embassy in Delhi,” she further added.

The Ambassador of Nepal to India, Dr Shankar P Sharma, also asserted that the Embassy is closely coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs, the Odisha Government, police, and the university authorities for a thorough investigation into the case.

Earlier, the Odisha Government had issued an official statement on the issue assuring all support to the bereaved family.

As per the statement, information about the alleged suicide of the girl student from Nepal, studying in first year B. Tech, Computer Science, KIIT University, was received from the local police on Thursday.

It also added that the parents of the girl were informed about the incident immediately by the university authorities.

“In this hour of distress, the State Government extends its support to the family of the deceased and offers its condolences to them. On receipt of the information, senior officers including the Commissioner of Police and Revenue Divisional Commissioner rushed to the site to enquire into the circumstances leading to the unfortunate incident and take necessary action in the matter. The forensic team is at the spot to collect evidence,” reads the statement by Odisha Government on Thursday night.

Notably, Prisha Shah was found hanging in her hostel room inside KIIT University campus on Thursday evening. She was immediately rushed to the nearby private medical college where the doctors declared her “brought dead”.

Her body was later shifted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar for the postmortem, which will be held on Friday after the arrival of her family members.

Shah’s parents are scheduled to reach Bhubaneswar later, on Friday.

The incident is significant as two Nepali students studying at KIIT University have ended their lives in the last three months.

Earlier, the university came in the line of fire following the suicide of a Nepali female student, Prakriti Lamsal, on February 16 and the subsequent assault on other Nepali students by the private educational institution’s security guards.

–IANS