COIMBATORE: A 22-year-old engineering student's fingers were chopped off by other students after an argument turned into a brawl. The attack was carried out by a group of seven students. The incident took place last night at Otakalmandapam in Coimbatore.

Three fingers of M Mahendran, a native of Thamarakulam, near Kinathukadavu, were cut off. Mahendran is a final-year mechanical student at a private engineering college near Pappampatti Pirivu. On Monday evening, Mahendran and his friend Kishore were going home on a bike when a group of three bikes overtook them at high speed.

Mahendran questioned them for driving at excessive speed. Following this at around 11 p.m., Mahendran reached a hotel near Otakalmandapam for dinner. The group of students met Mahendran at the hotel which led to an altercation.

During the altercation, the accused hit Mahendran on the head with a beer bottle and then cut two fingers on his right hand and one finger on his left hand. After the incident, the accused fled the scene. Passers-by took Mahendran to a nearby private hospital.

Chettipalayam police arrested 19-year-old, A Maria Dinesh, a native of Muthaiyyapuram in Thoothukudi district, in the incident. The police said that a special team has been appointed to nab the remaining accused. Mahendran was transferred to a nearby hospital for expert treatment. The hospital authorities informed that the severed fingers were surgically stitched.