Bhubaneswar: Cutting across party lines, members of the Odisha Assembly Friday condemned the mistreatment of Nepalese students following the death of a girl on KIIT campus, while the Opposition BJD and Congress staged a walkout from the House, demanding a judicial probe into the incident.
The issue related to the alleged suicide of a 20-year-old Nepalese girl in the women’s hostel of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and the subsequent mistreatment of students from the Himalayan nation allegedly by the private university’s staff was discussed in the House.
However, the opposition members walked out when Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj did not respond to their demand for a judicial inquiry.
The minister assured the House that action would be taken against those responsible, in accordance with the law and the findings of the investigation.
He said while police were investigating the criminal aspects of the incident, a high-level committee of the state government was probing lapses and other concerns, such as why only Nepalese students were served eviction notices, why they were attacked, and why they were dropped at Cuttack railway station without any arrangements for their safety.
Members from all major parties, including the ruling BJP, Congress, and BJD, strongly condemned the incident, agreeing that it had brought “shame” to Odisha and India.
The higher education minister described the mistreatment of Nepalese students as “barbaric” and assured the House that stringent action would be taken against those responsible for both the suicide of the girl and the harassment of students from that country.
The minister rejected opposition allegations that the government was under pressure from “unknown” forces, which delayed swift action against the culprits.
He also denied claims that the lone accused in the girl’s suicide case had ties to the ruling BJP. Police have arrested a 21-year-old KIIT engineering student from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on charges of abetment to suicide.
“I heard allegations from some opposition members that the father of the accused had taken a picture with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, implying that the BJP government in Odisha was going slow on the case. This is incorrect. A leading media house fact-checked the claim and clarified that the person in the photograph had a 16-year-old school-going son, not a KIIT student,” the minister informed the House.
He further said both Odisha Chief Minister and the central government were taking the matter seriously, with the Centre in constant touch with the state and closely monitoring developments.
The minister assured that India-Nepal relations would not be strained over this issue, as the state government had acted promptly. He also noted that Nepalese officials, including their Foreign Affairs Minister, had appreciated Odisha’s steps.
The minister confirmed that the government had ensured the safety of Nepalese students and urged them to return to the campus. He also informed the House that a high-level committee, headed by the additional chief secretary of the home department, had summoned eight senior KIIT functionaries, including its founder Achyuta Samanta, for a hearing on the matter.
The minister said the state government has assured Nepalese students that it will cover their travel expenses and arrange remedial classes to compensate for lost studies.
“If necessary, the state will also consider rescheduling their mid-semester examinations. Additionally, he emphasised that the government will pay special attention to ensure that Nepalese students do not face any reprisals from KIIT in the future,” he added.
Senior Congress member Taraprasad Bahinipati demanded a judicial inquiry and the immediate arrest of Samanta, whom he accused of tarnishing the image of Odisha and India.
“Has anyone heard of an institution declaring sine die against a particular community of students? This happened at KIIT. The women officers who made insulting statements against Nepal should also be arrested,” he said.
Congress member Ashok Das claimed that the Nepalese girl had lodged complaints against the accused youth six times, but KIIT authorities ignored them. “Had her grievances been addressed, this incident could have been avoided,” he added.
Senior BJD member Ganeswar Behera blamed the KIIT management for the entire incident, citing human rights violations in the private institute.
He argued that the tragedy had strained India’s relationship with Nepal.
“The suicide of a 20-year-old girl is painful because she took this step after authorities failed to address her grievances,” Behera said.
He further noted that 800 Nepalese students are yet to return to their studies after being forcibly removed from their hostel rooms, beaten, and dropped at the railway station without food, water, or travel tickets.
BJD member Kalikesh Singh Deo insisted that Majhi, who also heads the home department, should address the debate, as the incident was primarily a law-and-order issue.
He criticised the state government for the police’s failure to intervene promptly to stop the attacks on Nepalese students, despite the Infocity Police Station being located near KIIT.
BJP member Babu Singh demanded strict action against Samanta, accusing him of misleading society under the guise of education, tribal welfare, and devotion to Lord Jagannath.
PTI
