KATHMANDU, May 2: The cause of death of Prisha Sah, a student from Birgunj who was found dead at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Odisha, India, has not yet been determined.
The state government has said that it has initiated a formal investigation into the incident of Prisha , who was found dead at KIIT on Thursday. Following information received at 8:10 pm on Thursday, local police, along with the Police and Revenue Divisional Commissioner, have been deployed for the investigation.
According to a Nepali student studying at KIIT College, Prisha had attended classes on Thursday morning. The student mentioned that Prisha was present in the morning session of the C programming language class and had even asked her friends for notes.
However, she did not attend the practical class or the viva session later that evening. The student said, “Prisha was there in the morning class. She had asked her friends for notes. But she was absent from the practical class and the viva in the evening. Since students are often allowed to take the viva later and many skip it, no one thought to look for her immediately.”
Probe Prisha's Death Thoroughly
The student said that Prisha was alone in her room. “Prisha had been living with Indian students for some time. Her roommates had already finished their exams and returned home, so she was alone in the room,” the student said.
“She didn’t seem to be under any kind of stress,” the student added, noting that she used to communicate well with everyone. According to the student, Prisha had even asked her friends to book a ticket for her to return home after some time.
The Nepali students at the college are also shocked by Prisha's suicide. “She used to look fine. She didn’t seem to be under any kind of stress. But her sudden suicide has left us all in shock. In this incident, the college only called the police and did what was necessary. There is no negligence like the previous incident. We are waiting for the family. The post-mortem will only be done once the family arrives,” the student added.
Prisha's family had been living temporarily in Birgunj-15, originally from Malangawa, Sarlahi. She was a first-year undergraduate student. Her body was found in her hostel room on Thursday evening.
Although the investigation has begun, questions have been raised about the university administration's role and the security system for students. Students, parents, the Nepali community, and student unions have demanded a fair investigation into the incident.
After receiving the news of Prisha's death, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it has initiated diplomatic efforts for an investigation. Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba said that she had already started diplomatic efforts through the Government of India, Odisha authorities, and the Nepali Embassy in Delhi to investigate the truth behind the incident.
This marks the second reported death of a Nepali student at KIIT in recent months. On February 16, Prakriti Lamsal from Rupandehi was also found dead in her hostel room at the university.
