Vasai, May 15: In a shocking incident on Wednesday evening, a 21-year-old woman was the victim of a life-threatening knife attack near the Vasai Fort area. The attack, reportedly fuelled by a dispute over a friendship, has left the young woman seriously injured and undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

The Vasai police have registered a case of attempted murder against the accused.

The victim has been identified as Answita Donald Patil (21). The incident took place around 5.15 p.m. on Wednesday near the Datta Mandir Road area, adjacent to the historic Vasai Fort.

According to police reports, the accused, Sanchit Dominic Bala (23), allegedly harboured deep resentment regarding Answita’s friendship with another youth, Rohit Kapi.

Sanchit intercepted Answita while she was in the fort vicinity. Following a heated confrontation, the accused allegedly threatened her before slashing her neck with a knife in a fit of rage. The victim sustained severe injuries and was rushed to hospital by locals.

The brutal nature of the attack in a popular public spot has sent shockwaves throughout the locality. Following the assault, the accused fled the scene.

Upon receiving information, the Vasai police immediately formed investigation teams to track him down.

“We have registered a case under the relevant sections for attempted murder. Our teams were dispatched immediately to apprehend the suspect,” stated a police official involved in the case.

The police are currently recording statements from witnesses and checking CCTV footage from the surrounding area to strengthen the case. Answita remains under medical supervision, and her condition is being closely monitored.

Mumbai: The sessions court at Dindoshi has refused to grant anticipatory bail to a 77-year-old Bengaluru resident accused of sexually assaulting his three-year-old granddaughter, observing that he may flee or tamper with prosecution evidence.

The man was booked on the complaint of his daughter-in-law at Powai police station in April 2026. She claimed that she had separated from her husband.

The woman alleged that her husband had taken the child victim on two occasions for her stay with him, during which she noticed injuries on her lips and black patches on her legs.

The woman further claimed that in March, when her daughter returned after being with her husband, she noticed that the girl was touching her private parts frequently. When she confronted the child, she allegedly revealed that her grandfather had sexually assaulted her.

The lawyer for the grandfather, Marmik Shah, claimed that the man had been falsely implicated in the case. It was alleged that due to several issues, the informant and the applicant’s son were living separately. Divorce proceedings between them are ongoing.

“There is gross delay in lodging the FIR and conducting the medical examination of the victim. The application is filed with mala fide intention. Videos and pictures of the child victim of alleged rape would show that the child victim is happy and having a good time with them,” Shah contended.

The plea was opposed by the prosecution as well as by the lawyers representing the complainant — Shubham More, Sagar Shetty, and Ashish Venugopal.

They contended that there is an audio recording of the conversation between the victim and the mother, which is material evidence against the accused.

They further argued that the welfare and protection of the child victim is essential and that she has undergone profound trauma. “If he is released on bail, he may abuse the process of law,” they submitted.

The court considered the medical report, which stated that sexual assault on the victim cannot be ruled out, though no injury marks were observed.

The court observed: “No doubt, the applicant is aged about approximately 80 years and is the grandfather of the child victim, but keeping in mind the object of protecting the child victim and considering her interest and welfare, and also keeping in mind her age, the contents of the FIR and medical report at this juncture cannot be ignored by believing the alleged defence of the applicant.”

After rejection of the plea, the grandfather has now approached the High Court for anticipatory bail. Besides, the police had also arrested the father of the victim for alleged sexual assault on April 30. He was later released on bail after the court held his arrest illegal as the grounds of arrest were not provided to him.

Jaipur, May 15: The NEET paper leak scandal in Rajasthan is beginning to resemble a full-blown crime thriller, with every new revelation exposing another layer of an alleged education mafia that may have penetrated deep into the country’s medical admission system.

Now, the investigation has reached the corridors of Pandit Nawal Kishore Sharma Government Medical College in Dausa and at the centre of the latest twist is a young MBBS student who has suddenly vanished from campus. Pragati Biwal, a first-year MBBS student and daughter of arrested NEET paper leak accused Mangilal Biwal, has reportedly gone “missing” from the college soon after the CBI intensified its crackdown on the family.

According to sources, Pragati quietly submitted a leave application and left the campus immediately after the arrests of her father and uncle, Dinesh Biwal, both considered key figures in the growing paper leak scandal. For the past two days, Pragati has not attended classes, and her sudden disappearance has sparked intense speculation within academic circles and among investigators.

While family members insist she secured admission through merit and hard work, the timing of her exit has raised uncomfortable questions. What has particularly caught the attention of investigators is the extraordinary number of medical admissions within the same family.

The CBI is now reportedly scrutinising the academic records and admission history of multiple members of the Biwal family to determine whether the alleged NEET paper leak network was used to secure seats in prestigious medical colleges.

The list is striking: Pragati Biwal is studying MBBS in Dausa. Her brother Vikas is enrolled at Sawai Madhopur Medical College. Her cousin Saniya studies at SMS Medical College, Jaipur. Another cousin, Palak, is pursuing medical education in Mumbai. Gunjan, another family member, is studying medicine in Banaras.

Investigators are now trying to determine whether this concentration of medical admissions in one family is merely exceptional academic success or evidence of something far more sinister.

Meanwhile, the CBI has intensified searches at the family’s properties in Jamwaramgarh, Jaipur.

On Thursday, teams conducted raids at the residence of the accused brothers, Mangilal and Dinesh Biwal, in Khatik Mohalla. Sources say no male family members were present during the operation, prompting investigators to question the women of the household, including the accused’s mother and wives, for several hours.

The agency also searched a nearby farmhouse, examined luxury vehicles parked at the premises, and seized several important documents believed to be linked to the racket.

The investigation has now spread beyond Rajasthan, with arrests already made in Maharashtra.

So far, seven people have been arrested in connection with the NEET paper leak case, while five accused, including Dinesh Biwal, Mangilal Biwal, and Vikas, have been sent to seven-day CBI custody.

The CBI is also searching for Dinesh Biwal’s son, Rishi, a NEET aspirant this year, who is reportedly absconding.

As the probe widens, investigators suspect the scandal may be much larger than initially believed, potentially involving a well-organised network manipulating one of India’s most competitive entrance examinations.

With an MBBS student mysteriously ‘disappearing’ from her college campus just as the investigation closes in on her family, the NEET paper leak case has taken yet another dramatic turn, one that could expose what may become Rajasthan’s biggest education scam in recent memory.