Bhubaneswar: The founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Achyuta Samanta and other functionaries today appeared before the high-level committee investigating the alleged suicide of a Nepalese student and subsequent attack on students.
Former BJD MP Samanta arrived at the state guest house ahead of his scheduled 6:30 PM hearing. He was grilled by the high-level panel for over two hours. Earlier in the day, two suspended senior KIIT officials, Jayanti Nath and Manjusha Pande, also faced the committee.
The founder had earlier tendered an apology to the students and parents over the incident.
Meanwhile, the incident rocked the State Assembly with BJD and Cong staging walkout.
The three-member inquiry committee, led by additional chief secretary (Home) Satyabrata Sahu, is tasked with examining the circumstances leading to the student’s suicide on February 16, the alleged high-handedness of the institute’s administration, and the decision to suspend specific students and shut down the institute for them.
The panel, which includes the secretaries of higher education and women & child development departments, had earlier visited the KIIT campus and spoken to Nepalese students who claimed mistreatment by institute staff for staging protests.
