Police in Jaunpur, India, said a 23-year-old medical aspirant may have deliberately amputated his own foot after filing an attempted murder complaint claiming that unidentified assailants attacked him while he slept and severed his foot.
The case began when Akash Bhaskar filed a complaint on Sunday, stating that his younger brother, Suraj Bhaskar, a resident of Khalilpur village, was attacked by unknown assailants who cut off his left leg from the midfoot region.
An attempted murder case was initially registered at the Line Bazaar police station, and Suraj was rushed to the hospital. However, as the investigation progressed, police said they discovered evidence suggesting that the injury may have been self-inflicted.
Police officials said the suspect may have carried out the act with the intention of gaining admission to a medical college under the disability quota.
During the investigation, police recovered a diary in which Suraj had written: “I will become an MBBS doctor in 2026,” and had also mentioned the word “amputation.” These findings, along with inconsistencies in his statements, raised suspicion.
Officials said Suraj had been under mental stress after failing to clear the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) twice.
Police noted that there were no signs of forced entry into the house, and the timing of the alleged attack—between midnight and 5 a.m.—should have resulted in heavy blood loss, which was not found at the scene.
A syringe containing an anaesthetic drug was also recovered during the search, adding to the suspicion that the injury may have been self-inflicted.
Further investigation revealed that Suraj had a minor hand disability and had previously visited Banaras Hindu University (BHU) to obtain a disability certificate. However, the certificate was not issued because the disability percentage was below the required limit.
Police said preliminary evidence suggests that the foot may have been amputated using a grinder machine, commonly used in construction work.
Suraj is currently receiving treatment and is in stable condition, police said.
Authorities are seeking legal advice to determine the appropriate criminal charges to file against him based on the evidence gathered so far.