KATHMANDU, Feb 21: Friends of the late Prakriti Lamsal, a student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, have alleged that she was assaulted and poisoned before her death.
Nepali students who studied at KIIT and later returned to Nepal after fleeing Odisha reported seeing bruises on various parts of Lamsal's body. During a press conference in Kathmandu on Friday, they raised suspicions over the timeline of events, noting that although Lamsal died in the evening, the accused, Indian national Advik Srivastava, attempted to flee several hours before her death.
The students recounted that when they forced open the hostel room door, Lamsal's female friends were still on a video call with Srivastava. They suggested that this circumstance points to multiple factors behind her death.
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“When we broke the door and found Lamsal’s body, some girls were still on a video call with Srivastava. Lamsal was found dead in the evening, yet how did he manage to book a flight in the afternoon? Shouldn’t this be investigated?” they questioned during the press conference.
One student, who returned to Nepal with five other female students, revealed that Lamsal had previously mentioned her injuries and the consumption of poison before allegedly attempting to hang herself. The student also expressed concern over the mental distress faced by other Nepali female students who shared the hostel with her.
The students criticized the actions of the hostel wardens, accusing them of secretly taking Lamsal to Kaliganga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) without notifying the police, under the pretense of providing medical care.
“I can't say for sure, but when we broke in, Lamsal was still alive. Instead of immediately seeking medical help, the wardens started recording videos. They didn’t allow us to loosen the rope. Later, they sent everyone back to their rooms, filled the hostel with smoke, and only then took her to their hospital through a secret route. If their intentions were genuine, they would have informed the police. It seemed like they were trying to cover up the incident,” one of the students alleged.
Another Nepali student who accompanied Lamsal to the hospital claimed to have seen injuries all over her body. The students also disclosed that Lamsal was under severe mental stress, particularly after her relationship with Srivastava ended in December, following which he allegedly continued to blackmail her.
