Bhubaneshwar (Odisha), May 8: Following the suspicious death of Nepali student Prisha Shah, who was studying at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, at the time of her death, the Indian government has stepped up surveillance of the university.
The university, which hosts over 40,000 students from various countries, has reported several suspicious student deaths, prompting multiple Indian agencies to launch investigations.
India's Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian police, the National Human Rights Commission, and the University Grants Commission (UGC) are actively monitoring KIIT University.
The National Human Rights Commission of India has spent the past five days investigating Prisha Shah’s death. The commission sent a notice to the Chief Secretary of Odisha and the Director General of Police (DGP), instructing them to carry out a thorough investigation. It also ordered them to complete the probe by May 9. The university administration confirmed that the investigation is currently in progress.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) also sent its representatives to KIIT University to conduct an inquiry. The UGC formed a separate four-member committee, led by Nageshwar Rao, Vice-Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University, and gave the team 10 days to complete the investigation.
UGC representatives spent all of Wednesday in discussions with the KIIT University administration. The investigation committee includes Shashikala Wanjari, Vice-Chancellor of the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, and HCS Rathore, former Vice-Chancellor of Central University of Gaya, Bihar. The UGC appointed Sunita Siwach, Joint Secretary of the Commission, as the committee's coordinating officer.
Probe Prisha's Death Thoroughly
Three months earlier, another Nepali student, Pratiksha Lamsal, also died at the same university. Despite mounting concerns, the KIIT University administration has yet to issue a public statement on Prisha Shah's death.
Shraddhanjali Nayak, the university's public relations officer, refused to comment on the case. She stated that the university had already requested a police investigation and, since multiple agencies are currently conducting probes, the university would not speak publicly until those investigations conclude.
"We will release the university's official statement once the police and other relevant agencies complete their investigation into Prisha Shah’s death," she told Republica.
Currently, teams from the Bhubaneswar police, the UGC, the National Human Rights Commission, the provincial government, the Chief Secretary’s office, and the Ministry of External Affairs are looking into Shah’s death. The Ministry of External Affairs has shown interest, as the university also hosts international students. At present, more than 2,000 students from countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Syria, and several African nations are enrolled at the university.
Over 1,300 students from Nepal are currently studying at the university. Although previous student deaths have occurred, no investigation of this scale had been conducted until now. The suspicious deaths of two Nepali students within three months have drawn significant attention to the university.
The Bhubaneswar police have confirmed that they are taking these two incidents seriously. "As the police continue their investigation, we cannot disclose everything at this point. We are thoroughly investigating the matter. This case involves not only an individual but also the relationship between two countries, so we have a deep interest in it," said Suresh Dev Datta Singh, Commissioner of Bhubaneswar police.
He added that the police are gathering information about both the university's internal administration and external circumstances. "It is a prestigious university, and it does not want to lose its reputation. I have urged the university administration to conduct a thorough investigation as well," Commissioner Singh said. He also noted that the police have made the investigation easier by taking statements from Prisha's father.
Prisha excelled academically
The university administration confirmed that Prisha excelled in her studies. In a meeting with Nagarik on Wednesday afternoon, the administration stated that they would not make any public statements at this time but affirmed Prisha's academic success. Prisha had been staying at the university hostel while preparing for her first-year exams. According to the university, she scored 80 percent in the previous semester. Prisha had come to study here from Nepal just a year ago.
The cause of Prisha's death remains undisclosed. The postmortem report has been received. Although her family members have urged the police in Bhubaneswar to uncover the truth, no official complaint has been filed.
Prisha's family members returned to Nepal from Bhubaneswar on Tuesday with the death certificate and asked the Indian police to conduct the investigation without making further statements. Since the post-mortem report did not identify a clear cause of death, the investigation has not moved forward.
Dr Suresh Dev Datta Singh, Chief of the Bhubaneswar Police Commissioner's Office in Odisha, stated that the investigation will not proceed until the forensic reports of the laptop and mobile phone are received. "The post-mortem report has come in, and it does not indicate foul play. The forensic lab reports for the laptop and mobile are still pending. After receiving these reports, we will proceed with further investigation if anything suspicious is discovered," Singh said.
Prisha's family members have requested the police to conduct a proper investigation and deliver justice. Prisha's father, Shyam Lal Shah Kalwar, stated that he does not suspect anyone in connection with her death. According to KIIT University students, the university urged the police to conduct an investigation.
The university administration also assisted with Prisha's funeral arrangements. After her death, university officials began providing counseling to international students. According to students who contacted Nagarik, the university's International Relations Officer (IRO) is currently counseling Nepali students.
Prisha was scheduled to appear for her viva on Thursday for the ED subject at the university. However, she did not attend. When she was absent from the viva and later missing from the evening roll call, a search was initiated. She was later found dead. She was a first-year BTech student.
