The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that four girl students were bitten by a snake in the hostel of a higher secondary residential school in the Lohardaga district, Jharkhand, on July 7, 2026. 
One of them died while the other three are undergoing medical treatment. Reportedly, the snake bit the students while they were sleeping after dinner in the ground-floor room of the hostel.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of the human rights of the students. Therefore, it has issued notices to the state Chief Secretary, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks. The report is expected to include the health status of the injured students.

According to the media report, carried on 10th July 2026, the condition of one of the injured students is critical, and she was referred to the RIMS, Ranchi, for specialised treatment.