02 May, Bhubaneswar : A tragic incident has once again shaken KIIT University in Odisha as another Nepali student was found dead on campus. The deceased, identified as Prisha Shah, a first-year B.Tech Computer Science student from Birgunj, Nepal, was discovered hanging in her hostel room on Thursday evening, according to local police sources.
Following the incident, senior officials including the Bhubaneswar Commissioner of Police, Additional Commissioner, and the Deputy Commissioner, along with the Infocity Police, reached the site to begin a formal investigation into the suspected suicide. The scientific team was also deployed to examine the room for any clues or evidence.
Police Commissioner S. Dev Datta Singh confirmed that the student was alone in her room and failed to respond during the evening attendance check. Upon further inquiry by university officials, she was found unresponsive. Singh stated that the police are treating the case as an unnatural death and have initiated a detailed probe. No formal complaint suggesting foul play has been registered as of now, but the investigation will consider all angles.
The student’s body has been shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for a post-mortem, which will take place after her parents arrive in the city on Friday morning. Police are also questioning hostel mates to determine if Prisha had expressed any distress or signs of emotional turmoil prior to the incident.
Ambassador of Nepal to India, Dr. Shankar P Sharma, expressed deep grief over the incident and assured full coordination with Indian authorities. In a public message, he stated, “Deeply saddened by the tragic death of Nepali student Prisha Shah at KIIT. We are working closely with MEA, the Odisha government, police, and university officials for a fair investigation.”
Meanwhile, sources within the Commissionerate Police revealed that Prisha may have been suffering from emotional stress linked to a troubled relationship with her boyfriend, who resides in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
This incident follows a similar tragedy in February when another Nepali student, Prakriti Lamsal, reportedly died by suicide at KIIT University. That case was followed by allegations of mistreatment of Nepali students by university security personnel, drawing further scrutiny towards the institution’s handling of foreign student welfare.
The police have urged calm, assuring that the investigation will be impartial and thorough. The atmosphere at the university remains under close observation, although authorities report that students are cooperating with the investigation and trust its fairness.
