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.
Shubham Garg, an IIT-Madras graduate pursuing a PhD from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, was attacked at around 10:30 pm on October 6 and remains in the hospital in a critical but stable condition.
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.
‘Appears To Be a Racial Attack’: Father
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.
“Shubham somehow survived the attack. We found out on 8 October when he didn't answer my call and we called his friend...There are stab wounds on his back. He was stabbed in his arm, in his face. You can 11 stab wounds on his body,” Ramnivas Garg added.
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:
“We can confirm the men are not believed to have known each other before the incident.”
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."
"My brother Shubham Garg, 28, from UP, was brutally attacked in Sydney, Australia 11 times with knife and he is in critical condition. We seek your immediate help in this matter and emergency visa to family member to look after him," she tweeted on Wednesday and tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
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.
Stab Wounds
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.
Shubham suffered at least 11 stab wounds to his chest, face, and abdomen, and sought assistance from a nearby residence, before being taken to Royal North Shore Hospital. After undergoing surgery, he remains in the hospital in a critical but stable condition, the NSW Police Force said in a statement.
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.
Norwood was refused bail and appeared at a local court on Monday, and continues to remain in custody, with the next court appearance set for 14 December 2022.
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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