Lawmakers have drawn the government’s attention to the suspicious death of Prakriti Lamsal, a student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Odisha, India, and the subsequent expulsion of hundreds of Nepali students by the university administration for demanding an investigation into the case. Twenty-year-old Lamsal, a resident of Butwal, was found dead on Sunday in her KIIT hostel room on the night of February 16.

During Tuesday’s session of the House of Representatives and National Assembly, lawmakers urged the government and parliament to take the incident seriously, emphasizing that such incidents reflect disrespect toward Nepal and its citizens.

The issue has also been raised in the Odisha State Assembly, where opposition lawmakers have criticized the government for failing to maintain law and order. They called for a thorough investigation, citing potential international repercussions.

Following Lamsal’s suspicious death and the alleged mistreatment of Nepali students, KIIT Vice-chancellor Saranjit Singh issued an official apology. “We deeply regret the mistreatment of Nepali students and the irresponsible behavior of our staff. We love and respect Nepali students as much as we do students from India and the rest of the world,” the statement read.

He also urged Nepali students to resume their classes, assuring them that the situation would be addressed.

KIIT has already taken disciplinary actions against staff involved in the mistreatment of Nepali students. Two security guards who assaulted Nepali students have been dismissed, while two hostel wardens and an administrative officer have been suspended pending an internal investigation.

Additionally, two senior hostel officials and a senior administrative officer have been suspended until a full inquiry is completed. Some professors who verbally abused students have since issued public apologies via video statements. Meanwhile, a control room has been set up on campus to facilitate the return of Nepali students and ensure their safety.

The institute has also punished staff involved in making disrespectful remarks and attempting to evict 1,400 Nepali students from the hostel.

Two Nepali security officials—Sanjeev Sharma Das (SSP, Nepal Police) and Nabin Adhikari (Deputy Director, National Investigation Department)—visited the KIIT hostel to assess the situation. The delegation was set to meet KIIT officials and local police to gather further information and coordinate necessary actions.

Prior to her death, Lamsal had filed a complaint against fellow student Advik Srivastava, accusing him of repeated harassment. However, the KIIT administration allegedly ignored her complaints and attempted to cover up the incident.

Following her death, students staged protests demanding a serious investigation. However, KIIT’s administration allegedly tried to suppress the demonstrations, leading to further clashes between students and security personnel.