Five Additional KIIT University Staff Arrested for Assaulting Nepali Students
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Synopsis
The Commissionerate Police arrested five more KIIT University staff for assaulting Nepali students during their forced eviction from campus. The incident occurred amidst ongoing protests following the suicide of a Nepali student, Prakriti Lamsal, prompting inquiries into university practices.
Key Takeaways
- Five KIIT University staff arrested for assault.
- Incident occurred during students' forced eviction.
- Prior arrests included senior directors and security guards.
- Ongoing investigation into student mistreatment.
- Tragic suicide of a Nepali student sparked protests.
Bhubaneswar, Feb 20 (NationPress) The Commissionerate Police apprehended five additional staff members from KIIT University on Thursday, facing allegations of assault against Nepali students during their forced eviction from the university campus in Bhubaneswar this past Monday.
The individuals accused are Ajaya Kumar Swain (46), Saroj Kumar Routray (45), Chandan Kumar Swain (29), Sudhansusekhar Behera (41), and Ramakanta Sethi (37), all of whom are employees at KIIT University.
According to a police statement, on February 17, as students were vacating their hostel and the university grounds, the accused and other staff unexpectedly arrived and demanded the students vacate immediately.
Further investigation revealed that the accused became hostile upon noticing the students' reluctance to leave the premises. They proceeded to verbally abuse and physically assault the students.
“After a comprehensive review of the CCTV footage of the assault, law enforcement arrested the individuals and presented them to the court. The court, based on the evidence provided, denied their bail requests and placed them in judicial custody,” stated the Bhubaneswar Police.
Previously, on Tuesday, city police arrested five individuals, including three senior directors and two security personnel from the university.
However, the police faced backlash after the accused were granted bail from the court the same day.
In related news, the Odisha Higher Education Department summoned KIIT University's founder, Achyuta Samanta, to appear before a High-Level Committee on February 21 to investigate the alleged suicide of Nepali student Prakriti Lamsal and the mistreatment of students by university authorities.
He has been instructed to present all relevant documents regarding the incident. Tragically, Prakriti, a third-year BTech (Computer Science) student, took her own life on Sunday after enduring harassment from her former boyfriend, Advik Shrivastava, a B.Tech (Mechanical) student.
Following the news of her death, students organized protests demanding justice for her.
This triggered a negative response from university officials, who ordered all Nepali students to vacate the campus immediately. The private university's administration even resorted to forcibly evicting the students and allegedly assaulted them on Monday.
