Koppal (PTI): Two women, including a 27-year-old Israeli tourist, were allegedly gang-raped while stargazing on the banks of Sanapur Lake near Hampi, police said on Saturday.
The incident occurred around 11 pm on Thursday when, after dinner, a 29-year-old woman operator of the homestay—where the Israeli tourist and three other male tourists were staying—was sitting by the canal with them, enjoying music and stargazing, they said.
Among the male tourists, one was from the United States, while the others were from Odisha and Maharashtra, police said.
According to the police, in her complaint, the homestay operator alleged that while they were stargazing and playing music near Sanapur Lake, three men on a motorcycle approached them, asking where they could get petrol. When she informed them that there were no petrol pumps nearby, the accused demanded Rs 100.
When she and the tourists refused to give them money, the accused—who spoke Kannada and Telugu—started abusing them. They then allegedly raped her and the Israeli tourist and pushed the three male tourists into the canal, a senior police officer said.
Of the male tourists, two sustained injuries, while the one from Odisha has been reported missing, he added.
Based on the complaint, a case was registered at Gangavathi Rural Police Station under sections related to extortion, robbery or dacoity with intent to cause death or grievous hurt, gangrape, and attempted murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police said.
The two women are undergoing treatment at a hospital, police added.
"We have registered the case and identified the suspects. Six teams have been formed, and efforts are underway to nab them," police said.
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Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
