‘F*** off, Indian: Student assaulted with knuckles, racially abused in Australia

A student from India has been admitted to the hospital with serious injuries following an alleged racially motivated attack in central Adelaide, Australia, sparking widespread outrage and renewed calls for improved protection for international students.

As reported by The Australia Today, the 23-year-old victim, Charanpreet Singh, was out with his wife on Saturday, July 19, to view the city’s light shows when the incident occurred around 9:22 pm close to Kintore Avenue. The pair had just parked their vehicle when they were allegedly encircled by a gang of five men. Witnesses reported that the assailants exited a different vehicle and began the attack without warning, hitting Singh with what seemed to be metal knuckles or pointed items.

Alarming video circulated on social media depicted the men yelling racial insults such as “F*** off, Indian” while they kicked and struck him before escaping. Singh, who endured brain injury and several facial fractures, was left unconscious on the street, as reported by The Australia Today.

In an interview with 9News from his hospital room, Singh stated that the altercation started as a parking disagreement but swiftly escalated into what he termed a hate crime. “They simply said, ‘F— off, Indian’, and then they began hitting,” he remembered.

A day after the attack, police were able to apprehend a 20-year-old man from Enfield connected to the incident. Nonetheless, the other perpetrators continue to evade capture. Authorities have requested community help in locating the suspect. CCTV footage from the scene is being examined.

The assault has sparked significant outrage among Adelaide’s Indian population and heightened concerns regarding the safety of international students and immigrants throughout Australia. A surge of backing for Charanpreet Singh has inundated social media, as numerous people call for stricter actions to combat racially driven violence.

South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas denounced the attack, describing it as utterly unacceptable, 9News reported.

“Any time we see any evidence of any racial attack, it is completely unwelcome in our state and just not consistent with where the majojrity of our community are at,” Malinauskas said.