KIIT University in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, has called on Nepali students to return and resume classes, just hours after it had instructed students from Nepal to vacate the campus. This directive followed the discovery of the body of a third-year B.Tech student from Nepal at the university hostel.
“There was an unfortunate incident which took place late in the evening yesterday on the KIIT campus. Immediately after the incident, police investigated the matter and apprehended the culprit,” KIIT University said in a statement.
“The KIIT administration has taken all-out efforts to restore normalcy in the campus and hostels to resume the academic activities. An appeal is made to all our Nepali students who have or plan to leave the campus to return and resume the classes,” the statement added.
What happened?
Earlier today, the university issued a notice stating that the institution was “closed sine die for all international students from Nepal” and instructed them to leave the campus immediately on February 17th.
After the initial notice, Nepali students headed to Cuttack railway station to catch a train back to Nepal. According to an ANI report, in the wake of the incident, several Nepali students staged protests, demanding action against the girl’s alleged boyfriend. As tensions on campus escalated, the university ordered Nepali students to leave. Some of the students claimed they were made to vacate the hostel without any alternative arrangements in place.
KP Sharma Oli takes note of KIIT University situation
In the meantime, Nepal’s Prime Minister, KP Sharma Oli, took note of the situation at KIIT University in Odisha.
In a post on X, he said, “Our Embassy in New Delhi has dispatched two officers to counsel Nepali students affected in Odisha. Additionally, arrangements have been made to ensure they have the option to either remain in their hostel or return home, based on their preference.”
Earlier today, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli took to Facebook to express his concern after learning through social media about the tragic suicide of a Nepali student and the forced eviction of Nepali students from the hostel. Oli assured that the Nepalese government is addressing the issue through diplomatic channels and is in active communication with the concerned authorities in India.