5 Jan 2010

Governments condemn stabbing of Indian student

9:49 pm on 5 January 2010

The governments of Australia and India have united in condemning the fatal stabbing of an Indian student in Melbourne at the weekend.

Nitin Garg, 21, was stabbed in a park while walking to his part-time job at a restaurant.

The Indian government says Canberra has a moral and legal responsibility to protect Indian students in Australia, and has expressed deep concern about the attacks and the safety of other Indian students.

The killing is the latest in a series of recent attacks on Indian students in Australia.

It has emerged that another young Indian man was attacked on the same night Mr Garg was killed.

The second attack was on a 29-year-old Indian national who was set apon in the carpark of the restaurant where he worked.

Police say a group of men pulled up in a car, knocked him to the ground and hit him in the face, leaving him with a swollen jaw.

Gautam Gupta, of the Australian Federation of Indian Students, says Indian students may be more vulnerable to attack because they often work late-night shifts and travel on public transport.

Canberra insists Australia remains a safe place for Indians to live and study.

Police there say there is no evidence the attack was racially motivated.