Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Bhubaneswar–Cuttack Commissioner of Police and the Vice-Chancellor of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) to conduct an inquiry into the alleged murder of a minor tribal student at the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) and submit an action-taken report within two weeks.
The NHRC issued the directive on Tuesday after taking cognisance of a complaint alleging serious human rights violations. In its communication to the authorities, the Commission observed that the allegations, on the face of it, point to grave violations of the rights of the deceased student.
According to the complaint, a minor tribal student from Keonjhar district, who was studying at the residential educational institution KISS, was allegedly killed inside a hostel following a minor altercation on the night of December 11. The complainant further alleged that the incident was deliberately concealed by the institute authorities, who neither informed the police nor the child’s parents immediately, and instead provided misleading information regarding the cause of injury and death.
It was also alleged that despite visible strangulation marks on the child’s neck, the student was taken to an institutional hospital where crucial facts were purportedly suppressed. The body was allegedly handed over to the parents without following mandatory legal procedures, including informing the local police or conducting a post-mortem examination. The complaint claims that these lapses were committed by the authorities of KISS and KIIT.
The complainant described the incident as reflective of serious negligence, suppression of facts, and a broader pattern of unsafe conditions for students, particularly those belonging to tribal communities. The complaint sought urgent intervention by the NHRC to ensure a thorough investigation, accountability of the concerned authorities in light of previous incidents, including suicides, and protection of students’ rights.
Earlier, Bhubaneswar–Cuttack Commissioner of Police S. Dev Datta Singh had stated that the death of the tribal student at KISS was a case of murder and confirmed that the institute authorities had failed to inform the local police about the incident.
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has also taken cognisance of the matter. The Commission has sought a detailed report from the Odisha government and has decided to conduct its own inquiry into the alleged murder of the 14-year-old tribal student.
