Bhubaneswar: In a significant development in the case involving the death of Nepali student Prakriti Lamsal at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University, five more persons have been arrested.
The arrests were made by the Commissionerate of Police based on complaints filed at the Infocity Police Station.
The accused, all employees of KIIT, were identified as Ajaya Kumar Swain, Saroj Kumar Routray, Chandan Kumar Swain, Sudhansusekhar Behera, and Ramakanta Sethi, an Assistant Field Officer.
They were produced in court today, where their bail pleas were rejected, leading to their remand in jail. Further investigations into the case are ongoing.
The incident traces back to February 17, 2025, when KIIT authorities directed students to vacate the institution premises.
While most students complied, some delayed their departure. Allegedly, the five accused arrived at the scene and physically assaulted the students, prompting them to leave immediately out of fear. The police later examined CCTV footage from the day, which led to the arrests.
This development follows the earlier arrests of KIIT Director General Shibananda Mishra, Director (Administration) Pratap Kumar Champati, Hostel Director Sudhir Kumar Rath, and two security guards, Ramakanta Nayak (45) and Jogendra Behera (25). A criminal case has been registered against all individuals involved.
Prakriti Lamsal, a 20-year-old third-year BTech student, was found dead in her hostel on the evening of February 16.
Her cousin, Siddhant Sigdel, a third-year BTech (Mechanical) student at KIIT, filed a complaint alleging that Advik Srivastava, another third-year BTech (Mechanical) student, had harassed Prakriti, leading to her suicide. Srivastava was subsequently arrested.
In the aftermath of the incident, KIIT authorities initially instructed all Nepali students to vacate the hostels but later urged them to return to the campus.
The Odisha Government has since formed a high-level fact-finding committee to investigate the matter. The committee includes the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department, the Principal Secretary of the Women and Child Development Department, and the Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Higher Education Department.
The case has drawn widespread attention, with authorities under pressure to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Prakriti Lamsal’s tragic death.
