A 23-year-old Indian student, Charanpreet Singh, has been hospitalised with serious injuries after what is being treated as a racially motivated attack in Adelaide on Saturday night, ANI reported.
The incident occurred near Kintore Avenue after a dispute over a parking spot turned violent. According to the ANI report, Singh was allegedly attacked by a group of men who hurled racist insults at him.
Singh said a group of men approached him, hurled racial slurs and launched a vicious physical attack without any provocation. "They just said 'f--- off, Indian', and after that they just started punching," 9News quoted him as saying.
"I tried to fight back, but they beat me until I was unconscious. Things like this, when they happen, it makes you feel like you should go back. You can change anything in your body, but you can't change the colours." he added.
ANI reported that Singh was left unconscious on the roadside and suffered brain trauma and multiple facial fractures. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment.
South Australia Police have since arrested a 20-year-old man from Enfield in connection with the assault, charging him with assault causing harm. Authorities are still searching for the other men involved and have appealed to the public for help.
"When the police arrived, they found the victim on the floor with facial injuries. He was taken to hospital for treatment. Investigations are continuing," a police spokesperson told The Indian Sun.
The attack has caused outrage in Adelaide's Indian community, sparking renewed concerns about the safety of international students and immigrants in Australia.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas condemned the assault, calling it unacceptable. "Any time we see any evidence of any racial attack, it is completely unwelcome in our state," he said, according to the ANI report.
