PARSA: Nepali students banished from the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, after being beaten by university authorities, have started arriving in Nepal.
A group of over 300 students who left Bhubaneswar on Monday night reached Birgunj by road on Wednesday morning.
According to Parsa Acting Chief District Officer Nishan Raj Gautam, the first group of 95 students arrived in Birgunj at dawn. The students crossed into Nepal through the Birgunj checkpoint.
Of the returned students, 76 are male and 19 are female, with around 80 percent hailing from Parsa. A few others are from Bara, Rautahat, and Makawanpur.
“More students are continuing to arrive,” said Gautam. “We are coordinating with the District Police Office to collect details and ensure their safe journey home.”
Upon arrival, the students were transported to Simara in two school buses provided by the local South Zone School. Ashok Sangroula, assistant principal of the school, confirmed that additional buses would be sent to transport more students as they arrive.
The returned students shared distressing accounts of the treatment they endured. They alleged that the university administration, following the suspicious death of student Prakriti Lamsal, used goons and security guards to beat and expel those protesting the incident.
“We were not given time to gather our belongings. The goons who came to the hostel beat us up,” said one of the students. “Both boys and girls were beaten and thrown out. Several of our friends are injured.”
The students, who were initially dropped at various railway stations in Bhubaneswar, reached Kolkata before traveling home through different routes.
The death of Prakriti Lamsal, found in her hostel room under suspicious circumstances, has sparked widespread protests.
Six individuals, including the director general of KIIT, have been arrested in connection with the case, which continues to unfold.
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