Indian man attacked, set on fire in Melbourne

MELBOURNE - An Indian man suffered burns to his face, arms and chest after he was set on fire by four men while he was parking his car in the northwestern part of this city in the early hours of Saturday. The attack comes a week after an Indian youth was fatally stabbed here.

The 29-year-old was taken to hospital with burns to 15 percent of his body after the attack shortly before 2 a.m. in Essendon and was said to be in a serious condition, The Age newspaper reported.

Police were told the man had dropped his wife at home and gone to park his car after a dinner party when he was attacked in Grice Crescent.

As the man was getting out of the car, four men attacked him, pushed him back against the vehicle and poured an unidentified fluid on him. One of the men then ignited the fluid with a lighter and all four fled, police said.

The victim reportedly ran from the car while peeling off his clothes.

Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the federal government condemned all violence, regardless of motivation, the Herald Sun reported.

“The government condemns all acts of violence in the strongest possible way,” she said Saturday.

“This matter remains under investigation by the Victoria police,” she said adding that the government would not comment further until the police provided more information. Melbourne is the capital of the state of Victoria.

The latest attack comes a week after 21-year-old Indian graduate Nitin Garg was stabbed to death in a Yarraville park Jan 2. He staggered to Hungry Jack’s restaurant — where he worked — and pleaded for help before collapsing. He was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital where he died.

Crime squad investigators say the circumstances leading up to the 29-year-old being set on fire Saturday are “unusual” - but not racially motivated, the Herald Sun reported.

“I believe there’s no reason at this stage to consider this in any way racially motivated,” said Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Neil Smyth.

“The circumstances of parking a car randomly on a side street and just some people approaching him are a bit strange and it’s highly unlikely, therefore, to be a targeted attack on any individual.”

“It is an unusual event,” he said.

Neighbours across the street said they heard the car explode into flames but didn’t notice any kind of fight or disturbance.

The incident is being investigated by the arson and explosives squad.

Police have appealed for public assistance to find the victim’s clothes, which he shed as he ran. The man is in stable condition in The Alfred hospital, The Age said.

After the fatal stabbing of Nitin Garg, India’s external affairs ministry had issued an advisory asking Indians studying in Australia and those planning to do so to take extra security precautions while moving around in this country.