Youth suspected of stabbing IIT student in Sydney arrested; MEA demands strict action

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday the high commission in Canberra is in touch with the local authorities over an incident of the stabbing of an Indian student in Australia and expects action to be taken against the perpetrators.He also alerted that a suspect in the matter has been taken into custody in connection with the incident.

New Delhi:The local police here arrested a man suspected of attacking Shubham Garg (28), the Indian-origin PhD student in Sydney, on Thursday. The accused identified as Daniel Norwood was arrested and taken to Chatswood Police Station where he was charged with one count of attempted murder, reported local media outlet The Australia Today.

Quoting local media reports the outlet said that the incident occurred at around 10.30 pm on October 6, when Garg was walking along the Pacific Highway on his way back to his place of residence. Garg suffered multiple stabbing injuries on his face, chest and abdomen. A nearby resident took Garg to Royal North Shore Hospital where he underwent surgery. Garg remains in a "serious but stable condition," as per the media report.

Following the incident, the North Shore Police Area Command detectives formed Strike Force Prosy to investigate the incident. Later, a search warrant was executed on a home on the Pacific Highway at Greenwich at about 3.40 pm on October 9. The suspect Norwood was arrested at the scene and to further investigate the matter, the police seized a number of items from the home. The items were sent for forensic examination. Norwood appeared in Hornsby Local Court however he was denied bail. He continues to remain in custody with the next court appearance on December 14, 2022.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday the high commission in Canberra is in touch with the local authorities over an incident of the stabbing of an Indian student in Australia and expects action to be taken against the perpetrators. Bagchi also alerted that a suspect in the matter has been taken into custody in connection with the incident.

"It is a sad incident. He (Garg) is in a hospital and treatment is being done," Bagchi said. "We expect that the matter is dealt with seriously and action is taken against the perpetrators," he added. Bagchi said the Indian mission is also in touch with Garg's family members and providing help in expediting their travel to Australia. Asked if it was a racial attack, the MEA spokesperson said, "I do not want to speculate, the focus is on his treatment."