KIIT Nepali Student Promised To Call Mother Before Ending Life, Friends Say She Was Closeted – News18

Last Updated:February 19, 2025, 14:02 IST

Odisha university suicide: The 20-year-old girl from Nepal wanted to pursue a career in the Information and Technology industry to make her parents proud, but was an introvert on the personal front, her cousin said

KIIT Nepali student suicide: Friends and family members of the third-year B.Tech (Computer Science) student from Nepal at Odisha’s Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), who allegedly ended her life in her hostel room on Sunday afternoon, described her as a hardworking, intelligent, and closeted person. Irked with what unfolded, the 20-year-old girl’s close ones questioned the institute’s inaction on her complaint over harassment.

The Nepali girl, whose unnatural death has triggered unrest in the KIIT campus, excelled in school and wanted to pursue a career in the Information and Technology industry to make her parents proud, but was an introvert on the personal front, according to her friends and family.

Prakriti’s Father Recalls Her Journey To KIIT

Her father, Sunil Lamsal, recalled attending a conference in Kathmandu in 2022, organised by KIIT to attract students from Nepal, alongside Prakriti. “They informed us about the college’s scope and facilities, which led us to decide to send our daughter there for admission. She is no longer with us, but I hope this doesn’t happen to any other student. Students from distant places come here to study,” he told The Indian Express.

According to KIIT’s website, the university educates approximately 40,000 students from across India, alongside 2,000 international students from 65 countries, with around 40% of international students hailing from Nepal.

Prakriti, along with her cousin Anurodh, gained admission to the computer science department, while another cousin, Siddhant, enrolled in mechanical engineering for the 2022-23 academic year.

Kin Question KIIT’s Apathy

The family alleged that Prakriti reported harassment by the accused – a 21-year-old student from Lucknow who has since been arrested – to the university, but no action was taken. The university stated that both students were counselled and then allowed to continue. During early protests from Nepalese students following her death, the university had claimed the two were in a relationship.

Nishan Kanel, who accompanied Sunil Lamsal to Bhubaneswar, described Prakriti as an introvert from a young age. “My daughter and Prakriti were close friends. Although Prakriti confided in my daughter, who is in Canada, about the harassment, she asked her not to tell anyone because she was afraid of being embarrassed. I only found out about it after her death,” Nishan said.

He added that Prakriti was a “brilliant student” with dreams of building a successful career in the IT industry and making her parents proud.

One of her batchmates shared, “She was dedicated and rarely missed classes. We interacted often, but we never truly understood what she was going through.”

Prakriti’s cousin, Siddhant Sigdel, who filed the police complaint, said that though they weren’t in the same branch and he didn’t interact with her frequently, he received updates from Anurodh. “Anurodh and I were roommates. I used to ask him about Prakriti since they often met in the laboratory and classrooms. Neither of us knew about the mental harassment she was enduring,” Siddhant said.

He informed police that the accused had been blackmailing Prakriti based on what he learned from close friends.

What Did She Say On Her Final Call With Mom?

Prakriti’s heartbroken parents said she had promised her mother that she would call once she returned to her room from the college fest. However, the next phone call they received was from the university, informing them that Prakriti had committed suicide and that they should reach Bhubaneswar as soon as possible.

“She called her mother at 2:51 pm on Sunday and was absolutely normal then. She said she was going to attend the fest and may not be able to take calls for some time due to network issues. Between 5 pm and 5:30 pm on Sunday, we received a call from the university authorities…” said Prakriti’s father, who runs a business in the food processing sector.