Bhubaneswar: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has expressed grief over the death of a Nepali girl student at KIIT Deemed University in Odisha capital.

The MEA has also conveyed condolences to the family of the deceased student.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of a Nepali student at KIIT in Bhubaneswar. We convey our heartfelt condolences to the grieving family. The Government of India accords high priority to the safety, security and wellbeing of all international students in the country,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in New Delhi today.

The MEA has been in constant touch with the Odisha government and KIIT authorities since the incident came to the light. It has also maintained close contact with the Nepalese authority, Jaiswal added.

According to the MEA, the state government as well as the KIIT authorities have taken several steps to address the situation. The police have arrested several persons, including one accused student, in this connection.

“The Odisha government has constituted a fact-finding committee to probe the incident. Appropriate legal action will be taken on the basis of the findings of the committee. The police in Bhubaneswar have issued a helpline number for Nepali students in KIIT. The Odisha government have taken several steps to bring back the Nepali students who had left KIIT after the incident,” said the MEA spokesperson.

The Government of India will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure the safety, security and wellbeing of all Nepali students in India, he added.

A third year BTech girl student from Nepal allegedly died by suicide at KIIT some days ago. The girl student allegedly took the extreme step after she was subjected to harassment by a boy student of the institute.

The varsity authorities had asked students from Nepal to vacate the campus after they launched an agitation seeking justice for the girl students.

Taking the issue seriously, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli urged the Union as well as Odisha government to take appropriate action in this regard.