KATHMANDU, Feb 18: Bhubaneswar police have filed a criminal case against a fellow student in connection with the suicide of Prakriti Lamsal, a 20 year old Nepali student at KIIT University on Sunday, inside the university premises.
According to the police, Siddhant Sigdel, Lamsal’s cousin, who is a 3rd year B.Tech (Mechanical) student at KIIT, filed a complaint at Infocity Police Station, alleging that Lamsal had taken her own life due to harassment by Advik Srivastava, a 21 year old 3rd year B.Tech (Mechanical) student.
Based on the complaint, police registered a case under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Srivastava for alleged abetment of suicide, said the police station in a press release. He was arrested on February 17 and has been placed in judicial custody. While the investigation is ongoing, authorities have seized documents and electronic evidence related to the case, according to the press release.
Earlier, students claimed that Srivastava was sent back to his home by the university administration to ‘control the situation.’ Srivastava is reportedly the son of an influential politician in India’s Uttar Pradesh state.
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In a statement issued by the university, the officials claimed that they discussed the issue with Nepali students and that they were returned to their homes. Later, the students claimed that the university authorities did not discuss the issue with them and they remained stranded at the train station when the statement was issued.
In another statement released by the university, the KIIT appealed to the Nepali students to return to the campus, resume their classes, and stay in their hostels. It also assured that academic losses of the students will be taken care of by the institute.
Meanwhile, police have also initiated a separate investigation into allegations of manhandling by university security personnel during the unrest. A second case was registered at Infocity Police Station under multiple sections of the BNS. Two security guards Ramakanta Nayak, 45, and Jogendra Behera, 25, were arrested in connection with the incident.
Authorities have assured a fair and impartial investigation, emphasizing the safety and security of all students, including those from Nepal. The Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police has urged students to reach out in case of any difficulties.
