Bhubaneswar: Five more individuals were arrested in connection with the incident related to the death of Nepali girl student — Prakriti Lamsal at the Bhubaneswar-based KIIT (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology) Deemed to be University.

Based on complaints filed at the Infocity Police Station, the Commissionerate of Police arrested the five employees of KIIT and forwarded them to court today.

Rejecting the bail pleas of the five arrested persons, the court sent them to jail. Further investigation into the case is going on.

The arrested persons are Ajaya Kumar Swain, staff of KIIT; Saroj Kumar Routray, staff of KIIT; Chandan Kumar Swain, staff of KIIT; Sudhansusekhar Behera, staff of KIIT and Ramakanta Sethi, Assistant Field Officer, KIIT.

The students were leaving the institution acting as per the directive of the KIIT authorities on February 17, 2025. When some of the students delayed to leave the institution premises, the five accused reached there and beat them up. Out of fear, the students left the institution immediately.

The Commissionerate of Police examined the CCTV footages captured on the day and arrested the five persons.

With this arrest, 10 individuals have been arrested so far in connection with the incident following death of the Nepali girl student.

Earlier, on February 18, KIIT Director General Shibananda Mishra, Director (Administration) Pratap Kumar Champati, Hostel Director Sudhir Kumar Rath were held by the police in connection with the incident.

Two security guards, identified as Ramakanta Nayak (45) and Jogendra Behera (25), were also arrested and a criminal case was registered against them.

The alleged suicide of Prakriti Lamsal (20) occurred in the hostel of KIIT on February 16 evening. She was a third-year Computer Science student.

On the basis of a complaint lodged by Siddhant Sigdel (24), the cousin of Prakriti and a third-year B.Tech (Mechanical) student of KIIT, the Commissionerate of Police arrested Advik Srivastava (21), a third-year B.Tech (Mechanical) student, for allegedly harassing the girl, which led to her suicidal death.

KIIT, on February 17, asked all the Nepali students to vacate hostels. However, it later urged them to return to the campus.

Also read: Student’s death: KIIT founder Achyuta Samanta asked to appear before fact finding committee

The Odisha Government formed a High-level Fact Finding Committee to look into the matter. The Committee comprises of the Additional Chief Secretary of Home Department, Principal Secretary of Women and Child Development Department and Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Higher Education Department as Members.