Odisha government's high-level committee summons KIIT founder Achyuta Samanta over Nepalese student's death

 The three-member panel is mandated to ascertain the circumstances leading to the suicide, alleged high-handed action by the institute authority, reasons for issuing notice to only a specific group of students

PTI, 20.02.25 : Expediting its inquiry into the alleged suicide of a girl student and subsequent action against other Nepalese pupils, the Odisha government's high-level committee summoned KIIT founder Achyuta Samanta for his personal appearance before it on Friday.

The Higher Education Department, in a letter to Samanta on Thursday, said, "You are requested to appear before the high-level committee on 21.02.2025 at 6.30 pm at State Guest House to adduce evidence with adequate documentary evidence before the committee on the term of reference as stated in the office order."

The three-member committee, headed by Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Satyabrata Sahu, is mandated to ascertain the circumstances leading to the suicide, alleged high-handed action by the institute authority, reasons for issuing notice to only a specific group of students and closing the institute sine die for them and other incidental matter that emerges during inquiry.

The committee, also comprising the secretaries of higher education department and Women and Child Development (WCD), had visited the KIIT campus on Wednesday and held a discussion with some of the Nepalese students who were allegedly mistreated by the staffers of the private institute for staging demonstration on the campus.

Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said, "The high-level committee is empowered to summon anyone for the purpose of inquiry into the matter. The committee is functioning on the basis of law." Noting that the state government is committed to protecting the interest of students, the minister said.

"The state government has also discussed with the officials of Nepal Embassy and apprised the students about the developments," he said.

The unrest in Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) began after the alleged suicide of 20-year-old Prakriti Lamsal, a student from Nepal, on Sunday afternoon. Other Nepalese students staged agitation and demanded justice.

Allegedly annoyed by the demonstration, the KIIT authorities issued suspension notices to about 1,000 Nepalese students and asked them to leave the campus on Monday.

Commissioner of Police S Dev Datta Singh, meanwhile, said the police have obtained a three-day remand of a 21-year-old engineering student, who was arrested on charge of abetting the woman's suicide.

The student was nabbed at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here while attempting to flee the city on Sunday evening, hours after the woman's death. He has been accused of blackmailing and verbally abusing her.

Following the intervention of the Centre and the state government, the KIIT authorities had tendered an apology and requested the Nepalese students to return to the campus.

The state government has opened a round-the-clock help desk, to facilitate the Nepalese students' safe return.