CHENNAI: Nearly six months after a video of the assault shocked the state, K Suraj, the 23-year-old Odisha native who was hacked with sickles by four juveniles near Tiruttani, appeared before a Pocso court in Tiruvallur on Tuesday, putting to rest months of speculation over his safety and whereabouts.
Sources said Suraj and his brother, who had travelled from Maharashtra, appeared for examination in connection with the case.
On December 27, 2025, Suraj was pulled out of a Chennai-Tiruttani EMU train near Tiruttani, dragged to an abandoned railway quarters and attacked with sickles by four juveniles. The attackers also filmed the assault and uploaded the video on social media.
Suraj sustained grievous injuries to his head, face and hands. After the passersby alerted the police, a grievously injured Suraj was admitted to the Tiruttani Government Hospital and later shifted to the Tiruvallur Government Medical College Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai for advanced treatment.
After he allegedly left the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital against medical advice, his whereabouts remained unknown for several weeks, triggering widespread concern. The hashtag #WhereIsSuraj trended on social media platforms, and a complaint was also lodged before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
The Tiruvallur police subsequently completed their investigation and filed a final report. All four juveniles accused in the case were apprehended and produced before the Juvenile Justice Board. Following the completion of the examination, the trial is expected to proceed further.