Another Indian taxi driver assaulted near Melbourne

Natasha Chaku
Melbourne, Jan 16 (PTI) Attacks on Indians in
Australia continued unabated with yet another taxi driver
being punched by his passengers, an assault described as
"opportunistic" and "not racially motivated" by Police.
In the second such incident in as many days, the
25-year-old taxi driver suffered bruises on his body and
swelling on the face after he was roughed up by his four male
passengers in the Victorian city of Ballarat, 110- kms west of
here just before mid-night on Friday, police said.
The Ballart police constables dismissal of the attack
as not racial came even as a top Victorian police official
made a candid admission that there were "racists in
Melbourne."
In the latest assault, police in a statement said,
"the four became abusive towards the Indian driver while he
was driving and started assaulting him with one-of-the
passengers in the rear seat even spitting on him."
The passengers attempted to force the vehicle to stop
by pulling the hand-break and tried to force the drivers hand
from the steering wheel, police added.
As the car pulled over, two of the four passengers
tried to flee with the Indian driver giving them a chase.
However, the third passenger punched him to the ground.
Police believe that the group were aged between 16 to
18. But dismissed the attack as "opportunistic".
Police said they had a fair idea who the offenders
were, saying "we believe they are known to us," but denied it
was a racial attack. (MORE) PTI