KIIT University Founder Achyuta Samanta & Other Top Functionaries Appear Before Probe Panel (Video) |
Bhubaneswar: KIIT founder Achyuta Samanta and other top functionaries of the private engineering college on Friday recorded their statements before a government committee on the alleged suicide of a Nepalese girl in her hostel and attack on students of her country, officials said.
The issue also rocked the Assembly, as the opposition members staged a walkout when the government did not respond to the BJD and Congress’s demand for a judicial inquiry into the matter.
Samanta, a former BJD MP, was questioned for about two hours by the high-level committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Satyabrata Sahu at the state guest house.
The institute’s Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, Dean and two suspended women officials also appeared before the panel.
Samanta had on Thursday apologised to the parents of Nepalese students over the incident.
About The Three-Member Inquiry Committee
The three-member inquiry committee, also comprising the secretaries of the higher education and Women & Child Development departments, asked them how the 20-year old third year engineering student died by suicide at the women’s hostel on February 16 and whether she had lodged any complaint of harassment before the varsity authorities.
The panel also questioned what prompted the authorities to close the varsity only for the Nepalese students and why they were assaulted, evicted from the hostel and dropped at the railway station, according to officials.
While Samanta did not face the media and appeared before the committee amid tight security, one of the suspended woman officials Jayanti Nath, who has been accused of using insulting words against Nepal, said: “You (media) have heard half of the story. Let the truth prevail. We will tell details before the committee.”
Two other women officials, VC, registrar and dean did not speak anything to the media.
Nath and Manjusha Panda have been accused of making derogatory remarks about Nepal. A purported video of them making the statement went viral, leading to their summons, an official said.
The committee is tasked with examining the circumstances leading to the student’s suicide, the alleged high-handedness of the institute’s administration, and the decision to suspend specific students and shut down the institute for them.
Suicide Case Sparks Uproar In Odisha Assembly
The Nepalese girl’s death and subsequent development in the KIIT campus rocked the Odisha Assembly which debated on the issue.
The opposition members staged a walkout of the Assembly when Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj did not respond to the BJD and Congress’s demand for a judicial inquiry into the matter.
The minister, however, assured the House that action would be taken against those responsible, in accordance with the findings of the investigation.
He said while police were investigating the criminal aspects of the incident, a high-level committee of the state government was probing lapses and other concerns.
Members from all major parties, including the ruling BJP, Congress, and BJD, strongly condemned the incident, agreeing that it had brought “shame” to Odisha and India.
Higher Education Minister On The Mistreatment Meted Out To Nepalese Students
The higher education minister described the mistreatment of Nepalese students as “barbaric” and assured the House that stringent action would be taken against those responsible for both the suicide of the girl and the harassment of students from that country.
The minister rejected opposition allegations that the government was under pressure from “unknown” forces, which delayed swift action against the culprits. He also denied claims that the lone accused in the girl’s suicide case had ties to the ruling BJP.
A Student Arrested
Police have arrested a 21-year-old KIIT engineering student from Lucknow on charges of abetment to suicide.
“I heard allegations from some opposition members that the father of the accused had taken a picture with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, implying that the BJP government in Odisha was going slow on the case. This is incorrect.
“A leading media house fact-checked the claim and clarified that the person in the photograph had a 16-year-old school-going son who is not a KIIT student,” the minister informed the House.
He further said both the Odisha Chief Minister and the central government were taking the matter seriously.
The minister said that India-Nepal relations would not be strained over this issue, as the state government had acted promptly. He also noted that Nepalese officials, including their Foreign Affairs Minister, had appreciated Odisha’s steps.
The minister said the state government has assured Nepalese students that it will cover their travel expenses and arrange remedial classes to compensate for lost studies.
“If necessary, the state will also consider rescheduling their mid-semester examinations. The government will pay special attention to ensure that Nepalese students do not face any reprisals from KIIT in future,” he added.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
