Bhubaneswar, 18 February (H.S.): The authorities at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Bhubaneswar issued an apology letter today regarding the alleged misconduct of two employees towards students. The university confirmed that the two employees have been dismissed, describing their actions as irresponsible and noting that the comments were made impulsively and in a personal capacity.

In its apology, KIIT acknowledged the inappropriate behaviour and stated that the two employees have expressed regret for their actions.

“We deeply regret the manner in which some of our staff interacted with the protesting students. We care for our students and have always strived to serve them well. The comments made by these two individuals were extremely irresponsible. Although their remarks were made in a personal context and were not premeditated, we do not condone their behaviour. We have terminated their employment, and both have apologised for their actions. We also offer our sincere apologies for what occurred and extend our love and support to all students and the people of Nepal. We value them just as much as we value the people of India and around the world. We also urge our Nepali students to resume their academic activities immediately,” stated KIIT in a release.

In addition, two security staff members were dismissed after being accused of assaulting some of the protesting students. Police have arrested the security guards, identified as Ramakanta Nayak (45) and Jogendra Behera (25), and a criminal case has been filed against them.

The controversy arose following the alleged suicide of Nepali student Prakriti Lamsal (20) in the KIIT University hostel on the evening of February 16. Prakriti, a third-year Computer Science student, was reportedly harassed by fellow student Advik Srivastava (21), which led to her tragic death. Following a complaint from Prakriti's cousin, Siddhant Sigdel (24), a third-year B.Tech (Mechanical) student, police arrested Srivastava.

In the wake of Prakriti’s death, students at KIIT staged protests demanding justice. During these protests, the two KIIT employees allegedly made offensive comments, while the two security guards were accused of physically assaulting some students.

Initially, KIIT had requested all Nepali students to vacate the hostels; however, the university later urged them to return to campus and continue their studies.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda