Achyuta Samanta, founder of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar, on Thursday night apologised and urged Nepali students to return to the deemed university.

The KIIT has been in the eye of a storm since February 16 when a student from Nepal died by suicide on campus. It sparked protests in which Nepali students say they were abused and thrashed.

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Samanta addressed the incident in a video message shared on KIIT’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle.

“We are deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident that occurred on the night of February 16. I personally feel distressed, and we have taken action against some individuals involved,” Samanta said.

The night of February 16 is when the protests and the alleged crackdown happened and Nepali students were allegedly told to vacate the campus.

“The university is functioning as usual, with students attending classes, including students from Nepal who chose to stay. I humbly request all KIIT students from Nepal to return and continue their education without any fear,” Samanta said in Hindi in the video.

“There will be no impact on academics, campus placements, or discipline. I sincerely apologise to the parents of Nepali students studying at KIIT. We are all interested to see you back at the university,” he added.

A KIIT student from Nepal, who spoke to The Telegraph Online on promise of anonymity, said they would return to the campus.

“We have no other option. I am in my third year. Can’t jeopardise our careers,” the student said. “We have lost our friend and we have no words. I am a guy and I can say it is fine, but girls also faced the same thing.

“We were left in the station to our fate when we had no train bookings or anything,” the student added. “When we were protesting in the college, only a few local students came to join us and the rest did not even bother. Some higher authorities from our college only allowed all of this, otherwise how would it happen? How will someone gain the courage to beat us and throw us out of the campus?”

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In the e-mail sent to the parents by the registrar of the university on February 20 night, it was also mentioned that the university has postponed the mid-semester exams for the Nepali students. It was supposed to start from February 28 but will now start from March 10.

“Even now there are a few local students who are continuing the protest at the campus,” said a student from Janakpur in Nepal.

Screenshot of e-mail sent from KIIT university to students

“There was a meeting of college teachers and parents where the authorities informed our parents that such a thing will not happen ever again and they even apologised. They asked the parents to trust them back again and give them a last chance. Yesterday [Thursday] we received an e-mail from the college where they have requested all of us to join the campus back by March 2 so that the remedial classes can be held from March 3 to 8 for the academic losses.

“I also spoke to my mentor from college, he asked me if I was okay and requested me to come back,” the student added. “I will go back as I have no other option but I just hope that such kind of a thing does not happen again.”