NEET pressure turns deadly: Youngster amputates own foot for disability quota
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Lucknow: In a disturbing incident from eastern Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur district, a 24-year-old man allegedly amputated part of his own left foot in an attempt to obtain a disability certificate and secure admission to an MBBS course through reservations linked to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). The case has left police officials stunned and raised troubling questions about the extreme pressures surrounding medical admissions in the country.
The youth, identified as Suraj Bhaskar, a resident of Khalipur under the Line Bazar police station limits, had completed a Diploma in Pharmacy and was preparing to appear for NEET. The incident took place on January 18, but came to light on Friday after police began probing what was initially reported as a case of violent assault.
According to police, Suraj had approached the authorities claiming that unknown assailants had attacked him during the night, leaving him unconscious and resulting in the amputation of his left foot, with only the heel remaining. Acting on his statement and a written complaint, police registered a case of attempted murder against unidentified persons and launched an investigation.
However, investigators soon noticed glaring inconsistencies in Suraj’s account. “The victim kept changing his statement and tried to mislead the police,” said Circle Officer (City) Goldie Gupta. The shifting versions raised suspicion, prompting officers to dig deeper into the circumstances surrounding the injury.
A detailed probe, including analysis of call detail records, revealed that no one had visited Suraj on the night he claimed to have been assaulted. Police also discovered that he was in a relationship with a woman and planning to get married, and that he was determined to gain admission to an MBBS course in 2026 “at any cost”, as per officials familiar with the investigation.
During questioning of the woman he was in relationship with, police learned that Suraj had earlier travelled to Banaras Hindu University in October to try to obtain disability-related documentation, an attempt that did not succeed. Investigators believe this failure may have pushed him towards an extreme and desperate act.
Medical examination and forensic assessment suggested that the foot had been severed cleanly, likely using a machine rather than a sharp weapon. Police also found injections near the under-construction house where Suraj was staying, indicating possible use of anaesthesia. Given his pharmacy background, officers believe he had the knowledge to administer injections to himself before carrying out the act.
Despite extensive searches, the severed portion of the foot could not be recovered. Police also found a personal diary in which Suraj reportedly wrote daily goals. Entries indicated a clear fixation on securing MBBS admission in 2026. Officials said he had also filled out marriage registration forms, suggesting plans for the future that he feared might collapse without a medical seat.
According to the police, Suraj first tried calling family members around 5 am after the incident, but received no response. He then contacted a relative, who alerted the family. He was initially taken to the district hospital and later shifted to a trauma centre for advanced treatment. His condition is stated to be stable.
Police said Suraj’s statement would be formally recorded once he is discharged, and appropriate legal action will follow, including proceedings for filing a false complaint and misleading investigators.
Beyond the criminal aspects, the incident has sparked a wider debate. This is a grim reflection of a system where competition for medical seats has become so ruthless that a young man felt compelled to permanently disable himself to improve his chances. The case has underscored the intense societal pressure, scarcity of opportunities, and desperation that continue to surround MBBS admissions in India, raising uncomfortable questions about access, equity and the human cost of the race for a medical degree.
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Can't say when I'll return to India; legally barred from leaving UK: Mallya to Bombay HC
Mumbai (PTI): Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya, facing multiple cases of fraud and money laundering, told the Bombay High Court on Wednesday that he cannot say when he will return to India as he is legally barred from leaving the UK.
In a statement submitted through his counsel Amit Desai to the high court, Mallya said he did not have an active passport after it was revoked and hence, he cannot give a definite date of return to India.
The statement was submitted after a bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad made it clear last week that it would not hear Mallya's plea against the order declaring a fugitive economic offender until he returns to India.
The court had then asked the former liquor to clarify whether or not he intended to return to India.
Mallya, based in the United Kingdom since 2016, has filed two petitions in the HC -- one challenging an order declaring him a fugitive economic offender and the other questioning the constitutional validity of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act.
The 70-year-old liquor baron is accused of defaulting on multiple loan repayments of several thousand crores and facing money laundering charges.
The businessman, in his statement to HC, said he cannot give a definite date for his return as he does not have his Indian passport, which was revoked by the government in 2016, and also because there are orders of courts in England and Wales that prohibit him from leaving the country.
"Mallya is not permitted to leave or attempt to leave England and Wales or apply for or be in possession of any international travel document. In any event, the petitioner is unable to precisely state when he will return to India," Desai read out the statement in the court.
The senior counsel reiterated that Mallya's presence was not required in the country for the court to hear his pleas against the fugitive tag and the provisions of the Act.
"If he (Mallya) were to appear in India, then all these proceedings would be rendered irrelevant as the statute says that once the offender appears in the concerned court of law, then all these orders would be set aside," Desai told the court.
The bench directed the Union government to file its reply to Mallya's statement and posted the matter for further hearing next month.
Mallya was declared a Fugitive Economic Offender in January 2019 by a special court hearing cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The businessman left India in March 2016.
