Indian man set ablaze in Melbourne, police denies racist angle

Natasha Chaku
Melbourne, Jan 9 (PTI) A 29-year-old Indian youth was set
on fire by a group of four assailants here on Saturday in the
latest attack on people from the country in Australia, drawing
condemnation from the community and the government, but police
said a racial angle is "highly unlikely".

Jaspreet Singh was attacked in Essendon area of northwest
Melbourne shortly before 2 am local time (2030 HRS IST
Friday), a week after student Nitin Garg was stabbed to death
amid a spate of assaults on Indians in Australia.
Singh, who suffered 20 per cent burns, including on his
arms, chest and face, was admitted to The Alfred Hospital.
He and his wife left a dinner party in Essendon and drove
to their nearby home in Grice Crescent. He dropped his wife at
home and had gone to park his car when he was attacked.
Police said that as he was getting out of the car, four
men attacked him, pushing him back against the vehicle and
pouring an unknown fluid on him. One of the men then ignited
the fluid with a lighter before all the attackers fled.
The victim, who is now in a stable condition in the
hospital, ran from the car while peeling off his clothes.
Acting Senior Sergeant Neil Smyth said it is not yet
known who the four men could be or their relationship to the
victim. He said investigations indicate the attack was random.
"It's unlikely to be a racially motivated incident as due
to the timing and the nature, it's highly unlikely anyone
could have targeted the victim in the circumstances," Smyth
said. More PTI NC
MYR


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