A 20-year-old man in northern India reportedly did something so extreme it feels hard to process even after you read it twice. According to police in Uttar Pradesh, Suraj Bhaskar allegedly severed his own foot and staged the scene as a violent attack, all in an effort to secure admission to medical school through a disability quota.
Bhaskar, from Khalilpur village, had failed India’s National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, or NEET, twice. That exam is the gatekeeper for medical colleges across the country, and competition is brutal. Like hundreds of thousands of students each year, Bhaskar wanted an MBBS degree badly enough that it became the central focus of his life.
Under Indian law, government and government-aided colleges reserve five percent of seats for people with disabilities. Investigators believe Bhaskar decided that qualifying under that category offered a better path than taking the exam again.
Desperate Man Allegedly Cut Off His Own Foot to Qualify for Medical School
The case came to light when Bhaskar’s brother, Akash Bhaskar, reported that his sibling had been attacked by unknown assailants and left unconscious with a severed foot. Police opened an investigation and quickly began finding inconsistencies.
“The accused tried to mislead the investigation with a fabricated story, but his claims did not stand scrutiny during sustained questioning and examination of evidence,” a police spokesperson told reporters, according to Oddity Central.
Medical findings raised even more questions. Doctors concluded the amputation was unusually clean and inconsistent with a violent assault. Investigators also recovered syringes near the scene, which suggested the use of anesthetics. The foot itself has not been found.
Police later discovered a diary belonging to Bhaskar that included a handwritten line reading, “I will become an MBBS doctor in 2026,” a detail first reported by The Hindu. Officers also obtained statements from Bhaskar’s girlfriend describing what they characterized as an intense fixation on medical school. Authorities say he had previously attempted to obtain disability documentation months earlier and was unsuccessful.
“The victim repeatedly changed his statement and tried to mislead police,” an officer involved in the case said. Bhaskar was transferred to a trauma center for treatment while investigators continued questioning him.
What happens next remains unclear. Police say the act itself might not fit neatly into existing criminal categories, even if the alleged deception around it does. His reported plan to gain admission under the disability quota has not succeeded, and officials have not indicated that it will.
The story is extra sad because it exposes the pressure baked into systems that promise social mobility through a single exam. Medical school has always demanded sacrifice. But this case shows what happens when that demand collides with desperation, limited options, and a belief that the end goal outweighs the cost. Even if that means a whole a— foot.
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