Prisa’s death raises alarms: Are Nepali students safe overseas?

KATHMANDU: A Nepali student has once again been found dead in the hostel of the prestigious educational institution Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) located in Odisha, India.

Prisa Sah, a 19-year-old permanent resident of Kabilasi Municipality-8 in Sarlahi, and currently residing temporarily in Birgunj-15, was found hanging in her hostel room on Thursday evening around 8 PM.

Prisa was pursuing her first year of B.Tech in Computer Science.

According to the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi, she had been staying in the hostel with senior students, but no one else was present in the room when the incident occurred.

Earlier, on Falgun 4 (mid-February), Prakriti Lamsal, a 20-year-old from Butwal, was also found dead in the KIIT hostel.

The cause of Prisa Sah’s death has not yet been revealed. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, upon receiving the information, senior officials from Bhubaneswar Police and a forensic team immediately reached KIIT.

The body has been taken to a hospital, and the incident site has been secured by the police.

Previously, the late Prakriti Lamsal had filed a complaint with the college administration alleging mental harassment and blackmail before her suicide.

Her complaint was reportedly not taken seriously, and her death raised serious questions regarding the role of the university administration.

Following Prisa Sah’s death, the Nepali Embassy stated it has remained in regular contact with the college administration, the Indian central government, and the state government.

A discussion with KIIT representatives was held at the embassy on Friday morning.

Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba confirmed that a diplomatic-level investigation has already been initiated.

With the death of a second Nepali student in the same university within two and a half months, serious questions have again been raised regarding the university’s monitoring system and student safety conditions.

On Friday morning, students at Padma Kanya Campus protested under the leadership of the Free Student Union (FSU) wearing black masks. They chanted slogans like “Ensure justice for our student daughter” and “We want justice”, demanding action against the culprits.

Meanwhile, India’s student organization Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has also condemned the incident, calling it shameful, and demanded strict action against the KIIT administration. The ABVP, in its statement, also expressed outrage at the state government’s silence.

The university administration, on the other hand, has claimed that Prisa Sah committed suicide and released a statement, pledging full cooperation with the investigation.

However, the university’s decision to declare it a suicide while the investigation is still ongoing has drawn heavy criticism.

Following the news of Prisa Sah’s death, all KIIT-run social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube were shut down. This same action was taken following Prakriti Lamsal’s death as well.

Currently, there are about 700 Nepali students studying at KIIT. Following the incident, the Nepali Embassy has strongly emphasized the need to ensure the safety and security of students on campus.

Nepali Ambassador Dr. Shankar Sharma has contacted the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary of Odisha, demanding a fair and thorough investigation.

The death of student Prisa Sah has once again raised serious concerns about the safety of Nepali students studying in India.