Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police have arrested Advik Srivastava, a third-year Mechanical Engineering student of KIIT University in Bhubaneswar, in connection with the alleged death of his girlfriend Prakriti Lamsal, a B.Tech third-year student of the educational institution from Nepal, by suicide.

"We have informed the family members of the deceased. The accused has been arrested. He is being questioned. Further probe into the matter is underway to ascertain the circumstances that led to the death of the girl," a police official said.

On the other hand, an audio clip allegedly featuring a conversation between Advik and Prakriti has surfaced on social media and gone viral. In the clip, a young man was heard abusing and harassing a girl.

Chaotic scenes unfolded after Prakriti was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the hostel campus of KIIT University on February 16 evening. It is suspected that she died by suicide after allegedly being harassed by Advik over their strained relationship.

Following the incident, irate university students took to the streets and staged protest outside the entrance of the campus, demanding justice for Prakriti.

They alleged that Prakriti was being abused by a youth and she had reported the matter to the International Relations Office (IRO) at the university. However, no action was taken despite her desperate request for help, they alleged, adding that unable to deal with the harassment, she took her own life.

Addressing media persons, University Registrar Jnyana Ranjan Mohanty said, "Prakriti was in a relationship. She was staying in the hostel and took an extreme step due to a strained equation with her partner. Her room has been sealed and family members informed. Police have arrested the accused boy."

Meanwhile, the Registrar's office issued a notice directing all Nepali students to vacate the campus. 

"The university is closed sine die for all international students from Nepal. They are hereby directed to vacate the university campus immediately on 17th February, 2025," the notice read.