KIIT Acts Against Staff Amid Row Over Student's Suicide

The Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University on Tuesday apologised for its staff's behaviour with Nepali students protesting against the death by suicide of a 20-year-old female pupil, suspending three employees and removing two security personnel in its attempt to defuse what has become an international incident.

- Debabrata Mohanty

BHUBANESWAR: Police on Tuesday arrested five people, including the university's director general and director administration, but all were released later in the day.

The university said that it has suspended the director of the girls' hostel, Jayanti Nath, and associate professor of computer science, Manjusha Pandey, over their unsavoury comments on Nepal. The senior administrative officer of the international relations office who allegedly did not take any action against the accused after a complaint by the deceased five weeks ago, was also suspended, the institute said in a statement.

"We are extremely appalled by the untoward incident on our campus on the evening of 16th February 2025. We are also regretful of the way some of us behaved towards the agitating students... The comments made by two of our officers are extremely irresponsible. We have removed them from service. We, too, apologise for all that has happened and hereby tender our love and affection to all the students and people of Nepal," said the statement signed by vice-chancellor Prof Saranjit Singh.

A separate statement signed by registrar JR Mohanty said some comments were made in the heat of the moment. "...The KIIT administration has taken all-out efforts to restore normalcy in the campus and hostels to resume the academic activities. An appeal is made to all our Nepali students who have or planned to leave the campus to resume the classes," said Mohanty.

A third statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Nepal said that two security personnel—Ramakanta Nayak and Jogendra Behera—were removed from service and arrested by Odisha Police. "The State Government of Odisha has taken cognisance of the matter and taken steps against the erring officials involved," it said.