Odisha University suicide case: 21yo man held from Lucknow, FIR says he was ‘blackmailing’ her

The incident had led to a storm on campus after around 500 students from Nepal started protests and blocked the main road leading to the varsity. In response, the university decided to send them back home – a move that only escalated the tempers and forced the administration to eventually backtrack, The Indian Express reported.

The university’s U-turn was prompted by the Nepal Embassy getting involved and the country’s Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli dispatching two officers there.

Police say Lamsal, who was pursuing a B.Tech in computer science from the university, was found dead in her hostel room. The accused was detained from outside the airport on Sunday evening and has been booked under section 108 of the BNS (abetment of suicide).

“On Sunday evening, we received a complaint from one Siddhant Sigdel that his cousin had committed suicide in her hostel room. The police team immediately visited the spot and seized the body. Our scientific team has collected her laptop and phone as demanded by the agitating student,” said Bhubaneswar DCP Pinak Mishra.

The woman’s family has landed in Bhubaneswar to collect her body following the post-mortem.

According to the FIR, the complainant suspected the accused was blackmailing his cousin, which led her to take the extreme step.

Late Sunday evening, irate students from Nepal blocked the road near the KIIT campus, alleging that the university authorities took no action when the student reached out to the International Relations Office (IRO) at the university, flagging harassment by her batchmate, according to The Indian Express.

Speaking to The Indian Express, KIIT registrar Jnyana Ranjan Mohanty confirmed that she had lodged a complaint with the IRO over “misbehaviour” by the accused.

“The IRO officials then called both students, counselled them and also warned the accused not to do so in the future,” Mohanty told The Indian Express. He said they have not kept anything in writing from the accused.

Earlier in the day, Mohanty had claimed that the victim took the extreme step because of a “strained relationship” with the accused. The university, in a statement, also claimed that they were in a relationship.

As protests escalated by Monday, the university authorities announced “sine die” for all international students from Nepal and directed them to vacate the campus immediately. Over 500 students from Nepal were asked to board buses and were dropped at various railway stations, from where they were asked to head home.

However, after the Nepal Embassy weighed in on the development and Nepal’s PM expressed concern, the university withdrew its decision and allowed students to remain on campus. Sources said the state government also asked the university to allow the students to remain in the hostel.

“The KIIT administration has taken all-out efforts to restore normalcy in the campus and hostels to resume the academic activities. An appeal is made to all our Nepali students who have or plan to leave the campus to return and resume the classes,” read a statement issued by the university.

The Nepal embassy in New Delhi, in a statement, said they have contacted the university administration and relevant representatives regarding the situation of the students.

The embassy urged the academic institution to ensure the safety of students from Nepal residing there, and the institution assured that the students can remain in the hostel.

The Nepal PM, in a post on X, said the embassy has dispatched two officers to counsel students. He also said arrangements have been made to ensure they have the option to either remain in their hostel or return home, based on their preference.

According to the university website, KIIT offers education to around 40,000 students from across India and 2,000 international students from 65 countries.