Bhubaneswar: In a tragic and alarming recurrence, a first-year B.Tech student from Nepal was found dead at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar on the evening of May 1. The deceased, identified as Prisha Shah, a resident of Birgunj, Nepal, was reportedly discovered hanging in her room at the university’s international girls’ hostel.
According to Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner S. Dev Datta Singh, the incident came to light during a routine hostel attendance check. “The student did not respond when her attendance was taken. Upon investigation, she was found hanging in her room. We were immediately informed,” said Singh. A scientific team has been deployed to the scene for evidence collection, and the police are currently treating the case as an unnatural death. No suicide note was recovered at the site, and investigations are ongoing.
This incident follows closely on the heels of the death of another Nepali student, 20-year-old Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year computer science student at KIIT, whose body was also found in a hostel room in February 2025. That case led to the police detention of a fellow student and sparked protests from the Nepali student community, as well as diplomatic outreach by Nepal.
In response to the latest incident, the Odisha state government issued a statement confirming that local police reported the suspected suicide around 8:10 PM.
“Information about an alleged suicide of a girl student from Nepal studying in the first year of B.Tech, Computer Science, at KIIT University, was received from the local police at about 8:10 PM today. The parents of the girl were immediately informed about the incident by the university authorities. In this hour of distress, the State Government extends its support to the family of the deceased and offers its condolences. Following the report, senior officers, including the Commissioner of Police and Revenue Divisional Commissioner, rushed to the site to investigate the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate incident and to take necessary action. The forensic team is at the location to collect evidence,” the release stated.
Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has voiced strong criticism over what it describes as a troubling pattern of incidents at KIIT University. ABVP Odisha expressed grief over the death and conveyed condolences to the victim’s family.
📌 The suicide of a Nepali student in #KIITUniversity once Again is Heinous and Disgraceful: ABVP
📌 Why is the state government silent after such repeated incidents in KIIT University: @DrVirendraSS, National Gen Secy, #ABVP#ShameOnKIITUniversity#ABVPOdisha pic.twitter.com/fVsijigmCe
— ABVP Odisha (@abvpodisha) May 1, 2025
ABVP’s National General Secretary, Virendra Singh Solanki, questioned the silence of the state government, stating, “Why is the state government silent on such repeated incidents at KIIT University?” Similarly, ABVP Odisha East State Secretary, Deeptimayee Pratihari, demanded immediate and strict action against the university administration, calling the incidents “heinous and condemnable.”
On Thursday night, ABVP activists staged a protest demanding accountability and concrete action from both the university and the government.
As investigations continue, the university has not yet released an official statement regarding the incident.
