Student cut 46 times in machete attack graduates from HS 4 months later

Monday, June 12, 2017

Apex teen that was nearly killed refuses to be a victim

Apex teen that was almost killed by a machete skips her graduation but refuses to be a victim.

APEX, North Carolina -- The teenager viciously attacked with a machete in January graduated from high school Sunday.

Priyanka Kumari's name was listed as one of the graduates at Holly Springs High School's commencement ceremony but the 18-year-old decided not to attend graduation.

Kumari is still recovering from her wounds and receiving monthly medical treatments on her face, neck, and hands six months after the attack.

Sunday's graduation ceremony took place at the Raleigh Convention Center.

In January, investigators said after the 18-year-old had gotten off the school bus and was attacked with a machete.

Priyanka Kumari was severely slashed in the machete attack.
Courtesy of Pankaj Kumar

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According to investigators, the attacker was Neel Mehta, a man she had been dating.

However, Kumari's father, Pankaj Kumar, said Mehta wasn't dating his daughter but stalking her.

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The 20-year-old has been charged with attempted murder.

Kumar said his daughter wanted to keep a low profile on graduation day and stay away from the ceremony.

"She decided to be aloof at the event because she didn't want the image to be betrayed as a victim," Kumar said. "She thinks that she has a life ahead of her and she's gone through a lot of trauma, so she's still recovering from it."

Now that she's graduated, he said her plan is to pursue a two-year associate degree in science from Wake Technical Community College before enrolling at a local university.

Her ultimate plan is to get a degree in dermatology, a goal she had set before the attack.

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