BHUBANESWAR, May 8: The administration of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, has remained silent regarding the suspicious death of Nepali student Prisha Shah. As questions grow surrounding the mysterious circumstances of her death, the college has yet to issue an official statement.
When approached by Republica on Wednesday afternoon, the college administration declined to comment. “We are not in a position to make any statement or provide an official comment at this time,” said Shradanjali Nayak, Chief Public Relations Officer at KIIT. She added that the college does not see the need to speak to the media about the incident at this stage.
Shah, a first-year student, had been staying in the university hostel while preparing for her exams. According to the college, she had joined KIIT only a year ago and had scored over 80 percent in her previous semester.
The cause of her death remains unclear, even after the postmortem report was released. Her family members traveled to Bhubaneswar and submitted a request to the local police, urging a thorough investigation into the matter before returning to Nepal with her death certificate on Tuesday. They reportedly did not share any specific suspicions with the authorities.
Police officials say the investigation cannot proceed further until forensic reports of Shah’s laptop and mobile phone are received. “The postmortem report shows no signs of foul play. We are awaiting the forensic lab results for the electronic devices. If anything suspicious is found, we will launch a deeper investigation,” said Dr Suresh Devdutta Singh, Chief of the Police Commissioner’s Office in Bhubaneswar.
Shah’s father, Shyamlal Sah Kalwar, told police he did not suspect anyone of involvement in her death. He has since returned to Nepal with her death certificate.
Fellow students confirmed that the college had requested police to carry out an investigation and also supported the family during Shah’s funeral. The college is currently providing counseling to students, particularly Nepali students, through its International Relations Office.
Shah had two senior Indian roommates and police have stated that their statements will be recorded after they return from home.
Examinations for various semesters are currently underway at the college. Shah was scheduled to attend a viva exam in Engineering Drawing last Thursday but failed to show up. A search began when she did not attend the exam and was absent during a routine evening roll call. She was a first-year BTech student.