A final-year female student from Salem, Tamil Nadu, was attacked on the campus of IIT Palakkad on February 23, 2026, sustaining injuries to her forehead. She was rushed to a government hospital in Palakkad district and later transferred to a private medical facility in Coimbatore. Kerala Police arrested a migrant worker from Kolkata as the prime suspect in the attack. A case was registered by Kasaba Police on February 23, 2026. Police rejected the possibility of an assailant from outside the campus. The campus spans over 600 acres.

According to etvbharat.com, the suspect was arrested by Kasaba Police from Kolkata. According to thenewsminute.com, the attacker used a nail-studded wooden stick, and the suspect was associated with the institute. Students alleged that IIT authorities did not file a police complaint and only spoke verbally to the police, and that IIT authorities are reluctant to take legal action. The victim’s parents filed the police complaint; the institution did not.