Two Arrested, Another Indian Student Stabbed in Australia

Two teenagers were arrested by Australian police on Thursday over the assault on Sourabh Sharma (21) – an Indian student, who was attacked while traveling aboard a Melbourne train on May 9, say reports in the Australian media.

The Australian police were questioning two unnamed teenagers, aged 16 and 18, in connection with the attack, reported the HeraldSun.

Sharma sustained a fractured cheek bone in the assault, which was captured on closed circuit television cameras.

Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith on Thursday issued media statement condemning the repeated attacks on Indian students in his country.

“As Foreign Minister, I’m appalled by these attacks and I condemn them absolutely. Australia takes very seriously its reputation as a safe destination for Indian students. Indian students have faced problems in one particular location in Melbourne,” read the statement.

“Action is being taken. The police are giving particular focus to this issue. They have launched a police operation specifically to investigate allegations of attacks on students. And a hotline, staffed by volunteers who are fluent in English and Hindi, has been established to provide support, information and advice to Indian students,” it added.

The reactions from the Australian government came after Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna asked Australia to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

Notably, a group of intoxicated teenagers armed with screwdrivers assaulted four Indian students while they were partying in Melbourne over the weekend.

While three of the students suffered minor wounds, Shravan Kumar sustained grievous injuries and is still battling for life at a hospital

This, even as media reports of another stabbing incident involving an Indian student Baljinder Singh came in on Thursday.

Singh was reportedly stabbed in the stomach as he begged his two attackers to spare his life on Monday.