UGC constitutes fact-finding panel to look into death of Nepali students at KIIT Bhubaneshwar

NEW DELHI : University Grant Commission has constituted a four-member fact-finding committee under the chairmanship of Vice Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Nageshwar Rao, to look into the recent alleged suicide deaths at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Bhubaneswar.

The committee will examine the circumstances surrounding these incidents and ensure compliance with student welfare and safety regulations, and further suggest measures to prevent such incidents.

The committee also includes Shashikala Wanjari, Vice Chancellor, National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), and HCS Rathore, Former Vice Chancellor, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, as a member and Sunita Siwach, Joint Secretary of UGC as the coordination officer, according to an statement from UGC on Friday.

This comes after a Nepali student was found dead in her hostel room in KIIT on Thursday evening, making it a second case of a neigbouring country student found dead in the institute within three months

Bhubaneswar Police Commissioner Suresh Dev Datta Singh on Friday said that following preliminary findings in the case related to the death of the Nepali girl at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), “Prima facie, it appears to be a suicide case,” as she was found hanging in her hostel room on Thursday evening.

Singh said the girl’s body was transferred to Bhubaneswar for post-mortem, and a probe on the matter was currently underway.

“Prima facie, it appears to be a suicide case, as she was found in a hanging position inside a locked room. All evidence has been collected. The body has been sent to AIIMS for post-mortem. An investigation is underway. I have spoken to the Nepali embassy. Police arrangements have been made outside KIIT University, where the situation is normal,” Bhubaneswar CP said.

Providing more insights on the matter, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Bhubaneswar Jagmohan Meena stated the girl was found dead during a routine attendance check on Thursday and was found hanging inside her hostel room.

“During the investigation, it was found that when the hostel warden was taking evening attendance, one student did not respond. On checking, the girl was found hanging inside her room. She was immediately shifted to a local hospital. The body is now kept at AIIMS, and the girl’s parents have been informed. The girl hailed from Nepal. She was studying B.Tech and was in the first year. No note was found in the girl’s room

Earlier in February, Prakriti Lamsal also died by suicide at the same university. (ANI)