Indian student in Sydney allegedly beaten up by supporters of Khalistan movement

An Indian student in Sydney was reportedly assaulted by individuals who support the Khalistan movement, a discredited separatist movement advocating for the break-up of the Indian state of Punjab.

According to Australia Today, the 23-year-old victim was attacked while on his way to work in Sydney’s western suburbs of Merrylands at around 6 am.

The victim shared with Australia Today that as he was getting into his vehicle, 4-5 supporters of Khalistan suddenly appeared and assaulted him. The victim, who works as a driver, stated that one of them opened the left side door of his vehicle and hit him with an iron rod on his cheekbone under his left eye. They then dragged him out of the vehicle, beating him with iron rods. Some of the attackers recorded the incident on their phones while others continued to assault him. The victim was quoted as saying, “Everything happened within 5 minutes, and they left, saying this should be enough lesson for me for opposing the Khalistan issue, if not they are ready to give me more lessons like this.”

New South Wales Police released an official statement confirming the incident, stating that a 23-year-old man was assaulted by four men armed with a metal pole on Rupert Street. The victim was allegedly kicked, punched, and repeatedly struck with the metal pole before the assailants fled the scene in a grey sedan.

Representatives of the larger Indian diaspora in Australia have highlighted this incident as a deliberate strategy to instill fear. Yogesh Khattar, President of the Indo Australia Sanatan Society, expressed that it appears to be an intentional effort to create fear within the community. He emphasized that while such fear-mongering tactics might yield short-term benefits for a few, they will not succeed in the long run.

The incident has raised concerns about the safety and well-being of the Indian community in Australia, and it underscores the need to address such acts of violence and ensure the security of all individuals regardless of their background or beliefs.