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The family of a 28-year-old Indian student in Australia, who was stabbed multiple times on 6 October, has alleged that the incident was a "racial attack" and urged the Indian government to provide assistance.
He had moved to Sydney in September 2022.
Garg’s family members in India, based out of Uttar Pradesh’s Agra, were granted a visa on Friday, over a week after the attack. They had made multiple appeals to the government to facilitate a visa for Shubham’s brother to travel to Australia.
"It appears to be a racial attack. We request the Indian government to help us,” Shubham’s father, Ramnivas Garg said.
An Australian High Commission spokesperson in New Delhi said the high commission was assisting with the facilitation of a visa for a family member.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said that its officials have been in touch with the family in Agra. "We have requested the Australian High Commission here to expedite travel documents of visas so family members could urgently go. I'm happy to hear that it's done," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
Shubham’s Agra-based parents said that they had spoken to their son a few days before the incident took place, and were informed of the “lethal attack” by Shubham’s friend on 8 October.
Shubham had completed his Bachelors in Technology and Masters in Science from IIT-Madras and travelled to Australia on 1 September.
"It appears to be a racial attack. We request the Indian government to help us,” Shubham’s father, Ramnivas Garg said.
He also said that Shubham’s friends in Australia confirmed that neither they nor Shubham knew it assailant. "He had an 11-hour surgery in his abdomen.”
The Police Media Unit told In The Cove:
Meanwhile, Shubham’s sister, Kavya Garg, had tweeted multiple appeals to the government seeking help to secure emergency visas.
Yesterday, she posted an update on Shubham’s condition and said:
“Update!! My brother is going through multiple operations and doctor said that infection is spreading in body. Requesting @narendramodi for urgent help on this matter."
The family had also visited Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Rajkumar Chahar, who reportedly assured that that India’s mission in Sydney was taking the case “very seriously,” NDTV reported.
Garg was approached by an unknown man, now identified as one Daniel Norwood, near the Pacific Highway Lane Cove, who threatened him while demanding cash, local newspaper In The Cove reported.
After Shubham refused, he was attacked by Norwood who fled the scene after the assault.
The police arrested Gosford resident Daniel Norwood, 27, from the scene and took him to Chatswood Police Station, where he was charged with attempted murder, the Daily Telegraph reported.
Subsequently, the North Shore Police Area Command detectives formed Strike Force Prosy to investigate the incident. Later, a search warrant was executed at a home on the Pacific Highway at Greenwich on 9 October.
The police statement added that a number of items were seized from the home and have been taken into evidence for forensic examination.
(With inputs from Daily Telegraph, In The Cove, ANI and NDTV)
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