FM Dr. Rana talks to Odisha's HE Minister Suraj on Prakriti case

 Kathmandu, Feb. 18

Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba on Wednesday held a telephone conversation with Odisha’s Higher Education Minister, Suryabanshi Suraj, regarding the death of Nepali student Prakriti Lamsal at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) hostel and the subsequent developments.

During the conversation, FM Dr. Rana urged Minister Suraj to ensure a fair investigation into Lamsal’s death, take legal action against those responsible and guarantee a safe learning environment for Nepali students at the university, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) informed in a statement.

In response, Minister Suraj informed Dr. Rana that the Odisha state government was taking the incident seriously and had formed a high-level investigation committee to ensure justice for Prakriti and take action against the culprits.

Likewise, he stated that a dedicated hotline had been set up to provide necessary counselling for Nepali students and their parents. Minister Suraj also confirmed that arrangements had been made for Nepali students who had returned home to safely return to their hostels and resume their studies.

The MoFA stated that Odisha’s Minister Suraj assured that university staff found guilty of mistreating Nepali students had been dismissed and legal proceedings had been initiated. He also reiterated that security measures had been strengthened to ensure Nepali students could continue their studies in a safe environment.

Meanwhile, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi have been coordinating closely with university authorities and Indian security officials to address the situation, according to the statement.

Earlier on Tuesday, officials from the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi visited the university to assess the security situation for Nepali students while Nepal’s Ambassador to India, Dr. Shankar Sharma, engaged in discussions with the university administration.

Likewise, a team of Nepal Police led by an SSP has also reached Odissa to assess the situation.

The university publicly apologised to Nepali students, urged them to return to their hostels, and dismissed the staff involved in mistreating them, taking appropriate legal action.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 19 February 2025.