The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report about a Class XI student from the Scheduled Caste community who was assaulted by upper-caste boys in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district. The incident reportedly occurred while the student was traveling by bus to take an exam. He was dragged out of the bus and attacked with a sickle, resulting in the severing of fingers from his left hand. His father, who attempted to intervene, was also assaulted.
The Commission noted that if the details in the report are accurate, they represent a serious violation of the student’s human rights. Consequently, it has issued notices to the Director General of Police and the District Collector of Thoothukudi, seeking a detailed report within four weeks.
According to the media report published on March 12, 2025, the attackers fled after the assault, while the injured student was taken to a hospital and later admitted to Tirunelveli Government Hospital. A team of doctors performed a seven-hour surgery and successfully reattached his fingers.