Kathmandu: Following the tragic death of Nepalese student Prakriti Lamsal at an Odisha university, 159 Nepali students have returned to Nepal, claiming they were subjected to “inhuman treatment” by the university administration.
The students crossed the Raxaul border and arrived in Nepal by Thursday evening, according to Suman Kumar Karki, Assistant Chief District Officer, Parsa.
Prakriti Lamsal, 20, a third-year B.Tech (Computer Science) student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Odisha, allegedly died by suicide in her hostel room on February 16.
Her death sparked unrest among the student body. KIIT is home to approximately 1,000 Nepalese students.
In a press conference at Kathmandu’s Reporters’ Club, a group of the returning students shared their experience, describing how they were subjected to mistreatment following Lamsal’s death.
They claimed they were verbally abused and physically beaten by security guards in the presence of university staff.
“We were forced to vacate the hostel immediately after the tragic incident,” they said.
“We were treated inhumanely, and the environment at the university became unsafe for us.”
Despite the university’s assurances of safety, the students said they felt unsafe returning to their studies.
“The environment was not conducive for studying, even after the college promised that everything would return to normal,” they added.
The students demanded a proper investigation into Lamsal’s death and justice for those who had been mistreated.
In response, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba addressed the issue on Thursday, stating that the government had successfully resolved the matter through diplomatic channels.
Speaking to the media at Tribhuvan International Airport after returning from the 8th Indian Ocean Summit in Oman, Deuba confirmed that she had engaged with Odisha’s Higher Education Minister, Suryabanshi Suraj, ensuring that a fair investigation into Lamsal’s death would be conducted and that Nepalese students would be allowed to return to their hostels in safety.
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Following Nepal’s intervention, the Odisha government formed a high-level investigation committee, and the university issued an apology for the incident.
The college also took action against staff members who were involved in the mistreatment of Nepalese students.
Meanwhile, a candlelight march was held in Birgunj, Parsa District, on Thursday evening, demanding justice for Prakriti Lamsal.
Similarly, students in Bhairahawa, Rupandehi—Lamsal’s home district—organized a protest rally to call for justice.
