New Delhi, January 15
Amid an outcry in India over violence against Indian students Down Under, Australian High Commissioner Peter Varghese today said the Australian authorities were determined to find out and take action against those involved in the attacks on Indians.
A total of 34 persons have been arrested so far in conjunction with cases involving Indians in Victoria alone, he said giving details of the action taken by the Australian authorities in cases relating to assaults on Indians.
His explanation came even as reports from Australia said a 24-year-old Indian taxi driver had been assaulted today in Australian city of Ballarat by a passenger.
Australia is deeply concerned over the negative publicity it has been getting in the Indian media because of the continuing attacks on the Indians. The Australian authorities apprehend that the education industry in Australia, which is a major foreign exchange earner for the country, can be affected if the number of Indian students going Down Under comes down drastically. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna
has already told his Australian counterpart that the attacks on Indians could cast a shadow on bilateral ties.Verghese said some cases had already been finalised by the courts, leading to stiff sentences. For example, three men found guilty of attacking Indian-born doctor Mukesh Haikerwal were sentenced to 18 years and six months, 16 years and six months and nine years in jail, respectively, in November, 2009.
Emphasising that initial media reports were not always accurate, the Australian envoy reaffirmed the importance of allowing police investigations to run their course. “It is important not to jump to conclusions about the motives of an attack or to take initial media reports as fact,” he said.
Varghese said claims that the burnt body of Ranjodh Singh found in Griffith on December 29 was a racial attack should be treated with caution. The two persons detained by the NSW police in relation to this appalling incident were, in fact, Indian nationals.
“Similarly, it is far from certain that the reported burning of Jaspreet Singh in Melbourne on January 9 was an attack”, added Varghese.
“In all these cases, it is important to let the investigation establish the facts and then allow the criminal justice system to reach a view on the motives and the appropriate punishment”, he said.
He said an Australian court had already sentenced a man, who had attacked an Indian taxi driver in Ballarat, Victoria, to three months in jail.
“The speedy justice provided in this case shows the Australian government’s seriousness in ensuring that high levels of safety and security for all are maintained”, Varghese said. “The verdict has come out within 24 hours of the incident that took place in Ballarat.”
