The Ministry of External Affairs has released an official press release addressing the tragic death of a Nepali girl student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar, on Thursday.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic demise of a Nepali student of KIIT University, Bhubaneswar. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family during this difficult time,” stated the Government of India.
The MEA also affirmed that it has been jointly working with the Odisha State Government to unravel the mystery surrounding the undergraduate student’s death. Officials have since confirmed the victim’s name as Prisa Sah in official statements and tweets. The Nepali government has called for a thorough investigation into the death, which is suspected to be a suicide, especially since the incident has come to light within months of the suicide of Prakriti Lamsal, another Nepalese student.
Indian govt on international students’ safety
“Ministry of External Affairs has been in constant touch with the Odisha State Government since we became aware of the tragic incident. The State Government of Odisha has extended full support to the family of the deceased, and a thorough enquiry is currently being conducted by the Odisha Police,” read the statement.
Finally, the press release dated May 2 concluded: “Government of India takes the safety, security and well-being of all international students very seriously. We remain in close contact with the Nepali authorities, the Odisha State Government as well as KIIT management to ensure real-time communication and coordination in this matter.”
Nepali government speaks out
Earlier today, Arzu Rana Deuba, Nepal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, said, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Prisa Sah, a Nepali student at KIIT University in Odisha. I offer my heartfelt condolences to her family during this difficult time and pray for the eternal peace of her soul.”
“Following the incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs promptly initiated diplomatic efforts to ascertain the truth. Senior officials have engaged with counterparts in the Government of India, the Government of Odisha, and the Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi to ensure a thorough investigation,” she added on X, formerly Twitter.
“Deeply saddened by the tragic death of Nepali student Prisa Sah, found in her hostel room at KIIT, Odisha. Heartfelt condolences to her family. Prayers for her eternal peace. We are closely coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs, the Odisha government, police, and the university to ensure a thorough investigation,” Shankar P Sharma, Nepal’s Ambassador to India, also said in a post on X.
2nd Nepali student dead within months
Prisa Sah was an 18-year-old student in her first year of B.Tech, Computer Science, at KIIT University. Information of her alleged suicide came through local police at about 8:10 pm on Thursday, April 1, according to Odisha government.
Commissioner of Police for Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, S Dev Dutta Singh, said that Prisa did not respond to an evening attendance call of inmates of hostel. The hostel authorities eventually discovered her hanging. “No note has been found from the room. We have registered a case of unnatural death. No allegation has so far been received against anyone,” the police commissioner added.
Parents of the deceased girl are arriving on Friday, which is when postmortem on her body will be conducted. KIIT University is already under intense scrutiny in the wake of a 20-year-old girl student’s death after her body was discovered in the same hostel in February. During subsequent student unrest, demonstrators accused the varsity of mishandling her case and ignoring prior reports of harassment, which is believed to have pushed the Nepali student to take the extreme step.