Bhubaneswar, Feb 19 : Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday urged Nepalese students of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) to return to the campus here and resume studies, assuring them that peace and normalcy will be restored soon.
Around 1,000 Nepalese students of KIIT were issued suspension notices and asked to leave the campus immediately by the institute’s authorities on Monday following protests after the body of a student hailing from the neighbouring country, Prakriti Lamsal, was found hanging from the ceiling of her hostel room on Sunday.
However, following the intervention of the Centre and the state government, the KIIT authorities tendered an apology and requested the Nepalese students to return to the campus.
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Majhi, who is currently in Rajasthan, spoke over the phone with officials from Nepal, Sanjeeb Das Sharma and Navin Raj Adhikari, who held a meeting with Odisha Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling and Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, along with Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja at the State Guest House here during the day on the evolving situation.
“The chief minister also assured them that justice will be served in the case of the deceased KIIT student, Prakriti Lamsal,” a CMO statement said.
Besides, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Dr Arzu Rana Deuba also spoke with Odisha Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj over the phone on the issue.
Taking to X, Odisha CMO stated, “Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi spoke with Nepali Counsellors Sanjeeb Das Sharma and Navin Raj Adhikari, assuring them that justice will be served in the case of the deceased KIIT student, Prakriti. He also assured that peace and normalcy would be restored on the KIIT campus. The CM urged Nepali students to return to campus and resume their studies…”
Earlier, Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, in an X post on Monday, had 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 the hostel or return home, based on their preference. #Nepal #Odisha.”
Nepalese students of KIIT alleged they encountered harrowing experiences following the protests over the unnatural death of the student, including being shunted out of the campus and left at Cuttack railway station, besides being roughed up, leaving many of them scarred and fearful of returning to the campus. (PTI)
