Amid outrage over the alleged suicide of a Nepali student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and the forced eviction of a particular group of foreign students, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday assured a delegation from Nepal that justice would be served.

Reports of foreign students being assaulted at the private university, their forced repatriation, and an alleged cover-up attempt regarding the student’s death have escalated into a major controversy, straining India’s relations with Nepal. A visibly embarrassed Odisha government later constituted a high-level fact-finding committee to probe the incident, calling it “most unfortunate.”

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Despite appeals from the state government and university authorities for the students to return to KIIT, the response has been limited. Of the 500 students who faced eviction, around 100 have reportedly returned. However, uncertainty looms among Nepali students, who fear further backlash and retaliation from KIIT authorities.

“I was in Kolkata when I received a call from KIIT requesting me to return. I consulted my parents in Nepal, and following their advice, I came back to campus today. We are deeply shaken. I do not know whether the authorities will change their approach in the future,” said a Nepali student, requesting anonymity.

Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP, staged a demonstration in Bhubaneswar demanding the arrest of KIIT’s founder and former BJD MP Achyuta Samanta.

“The Nepali students were beaten and forcibly evicted from their hostels at Samanta’s behest. Some KIIT staff have been arrested, but Samanta is the mastermind behind this incident, which has tarnished Odisha’s and India’s reputation. He should be booked immediately,” alleged ABVP activists.

Chief Minister Majhi spoke with Nepali consular officials Sanjeeb Das Sharma and Navin Raj Adhikari, assuring them that justice would be served in the case of the deceased student, according to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office.

Majhi further assured that peace and normalcy would be restored at KIIT and urged Nepali students to return and resume their studies.

A discussion involving Nepalese officials, Odisha ministers Mukesh Mahaling and Suryabanshi Suraj, and Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja was held to ensure the restoration of order at KIIT.

Nepal’s Foreign Minister Dr Arzu Rana Deuba spoke to Odisha’s Higher Education Minister Suraj over the phone regarding the matter.