Oz police asks Indian students to stop patrolling on streets

Natasha Chaku

Melbourne, Jun 9 (PTI) Indian students, who have
reportedly formed groups to patrol troubled areas to prevent
racial attacks on the community members, have been asked by
the police to stop the practice and let them do their jobs.

The Indians have reportedly formed groups to protect
students from racial attacks at St Albans and Thomastown
railway stations of the Melbourne after a spate of assaults on
the community members in the area, 'The Age' newspaper
reported Tuesday.

Indians conducting their own security patrols should
"leave and let police do their jobs", a Victoria Police
spokeswoman was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

She said police had already boosted patrols on the
troubled train line, the railway stations and at a St Albans
shopping centre to prevent such violence.

"We have been talking to them about their concerns and
because of that have increased patrols in the area," she said.

The students have complied to police request to move
but then returned the following night or gone to other
locations, the spokeswoman said.

Earlier, it was reported yesterday that a 20-year-old
man was stabbed in a western suburb of Melbourne after he had
allegedly racially abused a group of Indian students here in
possibly the first act of retaliation.

The spokeswoman refused to confirm whether two men who
stabbed the youth in St Albans were Indians.

No one has yet been charged over the incident.

The victim allegedly said: "You are black. You don't
belong here. Go away from our country".

The attack on the victim was the first time Indian
students appeared to have retaliated against violent attacks
against them as they walk back home late at night, the daily
said.

It was also reported that a car believed to be of one
of the persons involved in attacks on Indians was torched at a
factory near the station in western suburb. PTI NC
PMR