New Delhi: The Centre has asserted that it accords “high priority” to the safety, security and well-being of all international students in the country.
It said that the recent death of a Nepalese student at KIIT in Odisha was saddening.
External Affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the ministry has been in “constant touch” with the Odisha government and the KIIT authorities since the matter came to light.
“We have also maintained close contact with the Nepalese authorities. Pursuant to our outreach, several steps have been taken by the Odisha government as well as the KIIT institute to address the situation,” he said.
Odisha Police has made several arrests, the MEA spokesperson said.
The police on Thursday arrested five more staff of the private engineering college on the charge of assaulting Nepalese students while they were vacating the hostel following a direction of the institute authorities.
Police have so far arrested 11 people, including an engineering student who was booked for allegedly abetting the suicide of the 20-year-old Nepalese woman in her hostel room earlier.
Following her death, the Nepalese students had staged demonstrations demanding justice.
Meanwhile, cutting across party lines, members of the Odisha Assembly condemned the mistreatment of Nepalese students while the opposition BJD and Congress staged a walkout from the House, demanding a judicial probe into the incident.
The opposition members walked out when Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj did not respond to their demand for a judicial inquiry. The minister assured the House that action would be taken against those responsible, in accordance with the law and the findings of the investigation.
He said while police were investigating the criminal aspects of the incident, a high-level committee of the state government was probing lapses and other concerns, such as why only Nepalese students were served eviction notices, why they were attacked, and why they were dropped at Cuttack railway station without any arrangements for their safety.
Members from all major parties, including the ruling BJP, Congress, and BJD, strongly condemned the incident, agreeing that it had brought “shame” to Odisha and India.
Suraj described the mistreatment of Nepalese students as “barbaric” and assured the House that stringent action would be taken against those responsible for both the suicide of the girl and the harassment of students from that country.
The minister rejected opposition allegations that the government was under pressure from “unknown” forces, which delayed swift action against the culprits.
He further said both Odisha Chief Minister and the central government were taking the matter seriously, with the Centre in constant touch with the state and closely monitoring developments.
The minister assured that India-Nepal relations would not be strained over this issue, as the state government had acted promptly. He also noted that Nepalese officials, including their Foreign Affairs Minister, had appreciated Odisha’s steps.
The minister confirmed that the government had ensured the safety of Nepalese students and urged them to return to the campus. He also informed the House that a high-level committee, headed by the additional chief secretary of the home department, had summoned eight senior KIIT functionaries, including its founder Achyuta Samanta, for a hearing on the matter.
The minister said the state government has assured Nepalese students that it will cover their travel expenses and arrange remedial classes to compensate for lost studies.
“If necessary, the state will also consider rescheduling their mid-semester examinations. Additionally, he emphasised that the government will pay special attention to ensure that Nepalese students do not face any reprisals from KIIT in the future,” he added.
Senior Congress member Taraprasad Bahinipati demanded a judicial inquiry and the immediate arrest of Samanta, whom he accused of tarnishing the image of Odisha and India.
Congress member Ashok Das claimed that the Nepalese girl had lodged complaints against the accused youth six times, but KIIT authorities ignored them.
Senior BJD member Ganeswar Behera blamed the KIIT management for the entire incident, citing human rights violations in the private institute. He argued that the tragedy had strained India’s relationship with Nepal.
BJD member Kalikesh Singh Deo insisted that Majhi, who also heads the home department, should address the debate, as the incident was primarily a law-and-order issue.
BJP member Babu Singh demanded strict action against Samanta, accusing him of misleading society under the guise of education, tribal welfare, and devotion to Lord Jagannath.
