The 23-year-old Indian accused in the death of toddler Gurshan Singh Channa on Tuesday faced court here.
Gursewak Dhillon did not apply for bail on a charge of manslaughter by criminal negligence, according to media reports.
Dhillon sat quietly in the prisoners dock during the appearance at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
He nodded when asked by Magistrate Jelena Popovic if he understood the case was being adjourned and that he could apply for bail at any time, the report said adding the hearing lasted less than a minute and was adjourned until June 29 with the prosecution asking extra time to prepare the brief of evidence against Dhillon.
Dhillon has been accused of placing the child in the boot of his car and driving around for three hours before disposing of the body in a field five days ago.
Showing posts with label Australia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Australia. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Australia pulverise South Africa 12-0
Title favourites Australia on Thursday registered the biggest win in the history of hockey World Cup by inflicting a humiliating 12-0 defeat on South Africa in a Pool B match here.
The overwhelming win is the biggest in terms of goals in a World Cup match.
The earlier record was held by Pakistan, who had mauled New Zealand 12-3 in the 1982 edition of the event.
Luke Doerner converted four penalty corners while veteran Jamie Dwyer and Glenn Turner scored two field goals each as world number two Australia toyed with South Africa and made the Proteas look like a club side.
After some early jitters Australia took control over the match with speedy forays and brisk counter attacks and scored goals at will — five in the first half and seven after the change of ends — to sound a warning bell for other teams.
Apart from Doerner (16th minutes, 34th, 49th, 66th 68th), Dwyer (52nd, 54th) and Turner (20th, 62nd), Desmond Abbott (26th), Fergus Kavanagh (35th) and Matthew Betturini (44th) all got their names in the score book.
Australia went ahead through Doerner, who converted their second penalty corner in the 16th minute, and four minutes later Turner made it 2-0 for the Olympic silver medallists with a nice field goal.
Turner scored his third goal in the tournament after Dwyer set it up for him from a fast paced counter attack.
The Aussies pumped in another in the 26th minute through Desmond Abbott whose reverse stick shot beat the South African goalkeeper Brendon Bodes all ends up.
As if that was not enough, Ric Charlesworth’s boys scored two more in the last two minutes of the first half through short corners.
Doerner found the net again with an immaculate dragflick in the 34th minute and then Fergus Kavanagh scored from a rebound after the set piece was saved by custodian Botes.
The second period was no different as Australia pumped in seven more goals. Betturini extended the lead in the 44th minute and five minutes later Doerner scored his third goal of the game, making full use of their fifth short corner.
With his team ruling the roost, veteran Dwyer joined the party, scoring two field goals in the 52nd and 54th minute.
Turner scored his second when he deflected home a Mark Knowles cross from the left flank.
Doerner was unstoppable as he added two more to his tally in the last four minutes of the match, first a field goal and then from a set piece to pile on South Africa’s agony.
With this win, Australia now have six points from three matches and will take on Spain in their next match on Saturday.
South Africa, on the other hand, are out of the semifinal race. The Proteas will face Pakistan in their next match on Saturday.
The overwhelming win is the biggest in terms of goals in a World Cup match.
The earlier record was held by Pakistan, who had mauled New Zealand 12-3 in the 1982 edition of the event.
Luke Doerner converted four penalty corners while veteran Jamie Dwyer and Glenn Turner scored two field goals each as world number two Australia toyed with South Africa and made the Proteas look like a club side.
After some early jitters Australia took control over the match with speedy forays and brisk counter attacks and scored goals at will — five in the first half and seven after the change of ends — to sound a warning bell for other teams.
Apart from Doerner (16th minutes, 34th, 49th, 66th 68th), Dwyer (52nd, 54th) and Turner (20th, 62nd), Desmond Abbott (26th), Fergus Kavanagh (35th) and Matthew Betturini (44th) all got their names in the score book.
Australia went ahead through Doerner, who converted their second penalty corner in the 16th minute, and four minutes later Turner made it 2-0 for the Olympic silver medallists with a nice field goal.
Turner scored his third goal in the tournament after Dwyer set it up for him from a fast paced counter attack.
The Aussies pumped in another in the 26th minute through Desmond Abbott whose reverse stick shot beat the South African goalkeeper Brendon Bodes all ends up.
As if that was not enough, Ric Charlesworth’s boys scored two more in the last two minutes of the first half through short corners.
Doerner found the net again with an immaculate dragflick in the 34th minute and then Fergus Kavanagh scored from a rebound after the set piece was saved by custodian Botes.
The second period was no different as Australia pumped in seven more goals. Betturini extended the lead in the 44th minute and five minutes later Doerner scored his third goal of the game, making full use of their fifth short corner.
With his team ruling the roost, veteran Dwyer joined the party, scoring two field goals in the 52nd and 54th minute.
Turner scored his second when he deflected home a Mark Knowles cross from the left flank.
Doerner was unstoppable as he added two more to his tally in the last four minutes of the match, first a field goal and then from a set piece to pile on South Africa’s agony.
With this win, Australia now have six points from three matches and will take on Spain in their next match on Saturday.
South Africa, on the other hand, are out of the semifinal race. The Proteas will face Pakistan in their next match on Saturday.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Fresh attack on Indian, Sri Lankan in Australia
In a fresh incident of violence against Asians in Australia, a Sri Lankan man and his Indian wife were attacked and racially abused by a group of drunken men at their home here.
A group of 25 drunken thugs bashed up 60-year-old Ranjit Sahasranaman, who is married to Indian-origin Agalya Sahasranamn, outside his own home in Carrams Down suburb on Sunday morning.
Sahasranaman, a Sri Lankan national, revealed his over two-and-a-half hour ordeal of how he fought back with the thugs till police arrived and dispersed them, the Herald Sun reported today.
Sahasranaman, who has lived in Australia for 19 years with his wife and two kids, said he was assaulted and racially abused by the gang of mostly white men who damaged his back fence and gained entry to his yard.
He said he was forced to fight back with a bar when the intruders got within centimetres of his back door.
Interestingly, this time the police dropped home one of the injured offender who allegedly got hurt by Sahasranaman.
“They were throwing punches at me,” Sahasranaman said, adding “they were calling names and told me to get lost from this country.”
The attack came at a time when Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith is in India to discuss with authorities there the security preparation for the Commonwealth Games and the issue of attacks on Indians here.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Website for Indian students in Australia
A networking website for Indian alumni and students in Australia — www.MyOzNetwork.com — was launched on February 17 with the support of the Australian government.
MyOzNetwork.com is designed to provide past, present and future Indian students in Australia with their own networking portal online and includes features such as individual member pages, blogs, discussion forums and the capacity to share videos, photos, news and events, a press release said.
Speaking at the launch, Australia's High Commissioner to India Peter Varghese said, “We want this website to assist students in getting the information they need to have a productive and happy time in Australia and to build a network of friends and colleagues that will stay with them throughout their professional lives.”
MyOzNetwork.com is designed to provide past, present and future Indian students in Australia with their own networking portal online and includes features such as individual member pages, blogs, discussion forums and the capacity to share videos, photos, news and events, a press release said.
Speaking at the launch, Australia's High Commissioner to India Peter Varghese said, “We want this website to assist students in getting the information they need to have a productive and happy time in Australia and to build a network of friends and colleagues that will stay with them throughout their professional lives.”
Monday, February 22, 2010
Participate in IPL at your risk, cricket boards tell players
England, Australia and South African cricket boards have washed their hands of the safety of players in India, warning them to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at their own risk.
According to Daily Telegraph the report, commissioned by the players' unions in England, Australia and South Africa and written by the England team's security adviser Reg Dickason, will state the players' safety cannot be guaranteed and threats issued by al-Qaeda sources last week were credible.
The Australian, South African and English player associations share the security report, which they commissioned independently because the IPL refused to deal with the associations.
Federation of International Cricketers (FICA), the international players' union, expects a mass pull-out of players from the tournament this week unless security concerns are addressed or the IPL is moved out of India.
The report will be passed on to the IPL's international players, who will then make the decision to travel to India on an individual basis.
The IPL begins in Mumbai March 12. Most of the eight franchises begin training as early as next week.
Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) chief executive Paul Marsh said he had received the report from Dickason but would not disclose its contents until he had advised the players.
"We haven't spoken to the players at this stage," Marsh was quoted as saying in The Australian.
"We have just received the report and we are working through it," he said.
"We need to go through the process of talking to our executive and our players before we are in a position to make public comment," Marsh added.
England's Twenty20 captain Paul Collingwood, who plays for Delhi Daredevils, said he is yet to make a decision on IPL participation.
"I am aware of the reported security risks and am in constant communication with Delhi Daredevils," Collingwood said.
"I will make a decision once I have had a chance to review all the available information and talk to the relevant people."
According to Daily Telegraph the report, commissioned by the players' unions in England, Australia and South Africa and written by the England team's security adviser Reg Dickason, will state the players' safety cannot be guaranteed and threats issued by al-Qaeda sources last week were credible.
The Australian, South African and English player associations share the security report, which they commissioned independently because the IPL refused to deal with the associations.
Federation of International Cricketers (FICA), the international players' union, expects a mass pull-out of players from the tournament this week unless security concerns are addressed or the IPL is moved out of India.
The report will be passed on to the IPL's international players, who will then make the decision to travel to India on an individual basis.
The IPL begins in Mumbai March 12. Most of the eight franchises begin training as early as next week.
Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) chief executive Paul Marsh said he had received the report from Dickason but would not disclose its contents until he had advised the players.
"We haven't spoken to the players at this stage," Marsh was quoted as saying in The Australian.
"We have just received the report and we are working through it," he said.
"We need to go through the process of talking to our executive and our players before we are in a position to make public comment," Marsh added.
England's Twenty20 captain Paul Collingwood, who plays for Delhi Daredevils, said he is yet to make a decision on IPL participation.
"I am aware of the reported security risks and am in constant communication with Delhi Daredevils," Collingwood said.
"I will make a decision once I have had a chance to review all the available information and talk to the relevant people."
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Australian court favours release of teenage duo who attacked Indians
An Australian court on Wednesday favoured release of two teenage brothers, who spent less than a year in youth detention for racially assaulting a group of Indians, even as it termed the attack which left one of the victims with permanent brain injuries as “extraordinarily grave“.
Victorian County Court judge Christine Thornton said that because the two, aged 17 and 18, were “children” she should indicate that they would not be locked up again for the December 2008 incident, according to AAP.
However, Ms. Thornton described the assault as “extraordinarily grave“.
The re-sentencing of the two boys, who served less than a year in youth detention, is set to take place shortly after Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) appealed against their sentences.
As per the appeal system, Ms. Thornton is required to re-sentence the duo, even if she does not increase their jail terms, the report said.
The two brothers carried out an unprovoked attack in an Indian convenience store in Sunshine, where eight men were injured, including one who spent 15 days in coma and was left with permanent brain injuries.
Chief Crown prosecutor Gavin Silbert SC told the court that the older youth smashed 27-year old Sukhraj Singh with a piece of wood, leaving him unconscious and bleeding with multiple skull and face fractures.
Mr. Singh had been told his injuries were permanent and there was a chance he would suffer from epilepsy.
The younger brother is believed to have started the spat, asking the Indian men in the store if they were ‘Singh or Desi’, which the prosecution said was a racist remark.
Mr. Silbert said when the Indian men said they were “Singh boys”, he punched one of them without warning.
A group of four co-offenders, including his older brother, entered the store and caused mayhem, assaulting the victims and stealing a till containing several hundred dollars.
The assault was captured on CCTV and when the judge viewed it she said it was very serious attack.
The brothers were sentenced in the Children’s Court to 12 months in a youth detention, but were released early on parole.
The DPP asked the County Court to re-sentence the older brother to two and a half years and the younger to two years.
“There is a racial motive apparent in this,” Mr. Silbert told the court, adding “the culpability is relatively high.”
He also called the offence as “extraordinarily grave” and said “it was entirely unprovoked.”
“It was committed in company. It involved weapons,” Mr. Silbert said.
The DPP said that a 12-month sentence for the injuries caused were inadequate.
The offenders admitted charges of intentionally and recklessly causing serious injury and theft.
Victorian County Court judge Christine Thornton said that because the two, aged 17 and 18, were “children” she should indicate that they would not be locked up again for the December 2008 incident, according to AAP.
However, Ms. Thornton described the assault as “extraordinarily grave“.
The re-sentencing of the two boys, who served less than a year in youth detention, is set to take place shortly after Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) appealed against their sentences.
As per the appeal system, Ms. Thornton is required to re-sentence the duo, even if she does not increase their jail terms, the report said.
The two brothers carried out an unprovoked attack in an Indian convenience store in Sunshine, where eight men were injured, including one who spent 15 days in coma and was left with permanent brain injuries.
Chief Crown prosecutor Gavin Silbert SC told the court that the older youth smashed 27-year old Sukhraj Singh with a piece of wood, leaving him unconscious and bleeding with multiple skull and face fractures.
Mr. Singh had been told his injuries were permanent and there was a chance he would suffer from epilepsy.
The younger brother is believed to have started the spat, asking the Indian men in the store if they were ‘Singh or Desi’, which the prosecution said was a racist remark.
Mr. Silbert said when the Indian men said they were “Singh boys”, he punched one of them without warning.
A group of four co-offenders, including his older brother, entered the store and caused mayhem, assaulting the victims and stealing a till containing several hundred dollars.
The assault was captured on CCTV and when the judge viewed it she said it was very serious attack.
The brothers were sentenced in the Children’s Court to 12 months in a youth detention, but were released early on parole.
The DPP asked the County Court to re-sentence the older brother to two and a half years and the younger to two years.
“There is a racial motive apparent in this,” Mr. Silbert told the court, adding “the culpability is relatively high.”
He also called the offence as “extraordinarily grave” and said “it was entirely unprovoked.”
“It was committed in company. It involved weapons,” Mr. Silbert said.
The DPP said that a 12-month sentence for the injuries caused were inadequate.
The offenders admitted charges of intentionally and recklessly causing serious injury and theft.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Attacks on Indian students hit Australia’s education industry
Overseas student enrolments in Australian universities have taken a serious dive following a spate of attacks on Indian students here and the introduction of new amended immigration programme by the government.
There are now calls for a body to represent the interests of the entire private education sector of Australia to help repair the damage.
Andrew Smith, from the Australian Council for Private Education and Training, said there has been a drop of between 40 and 50 per cent in applications from South Asian countries, particularly India, ABC report said on Saturday.
“We’ve seen some fall away from the China market which is another key market but we are also seeing some increases in other markets and we expected over the course of this year, numbers overall will actually probably hold about the same,” he said
“There just won’t be anything like the rates of growth we’ve experienced in recent years,” he said.
However, he said Government’s changes to the skilled migration program are likely stunt growth in the education market. “There was a further suite of changes announced last week,” he said.
“The disappointing thing from our point of view was that those changes rely on a specialised occupation list being developing and that list is still several months away from being developed and released, which makes it very hard for businesses to plan, makes it very hard for prospective students to know what their options might be,” Mr. Smith said.
Industry and government are desperate to restore confidence in Australia as a safe place for quality education.
Rod Jones from the Navitas education provider said that while there is plenty of goodwill, he feared the effort to repair Australia’s reputation is uncoordinated and a new umbrella body should be set up for it.
“It is the third or fourth largest export industry for this country and it seems really quite amazing that there is not a body that’s looking to try and coordinate from a government perspective, the best possible outcome for this country in terms of delivering both additional export dollars but taking a view about the long—term future and strategy of how we should best manage this industry as we move forward,” he said.
Smith said it could be something along the lines of Tourism Australia.
“This is a significant industry — it needs the support and it needs the strategic approach that will see us take this industry to the next step,” he said.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Brand Australia suffering from attacks on Indian students: Minister
Brand Australia has suffered following attacks on Indian students in the past nine months and this will cause long-term damage if not attended to, says a visiting Australian minister.
“The attacks (on Indian students) have hurt us in terms of perception about Australia and that’s why our law enforcement agencies have been so committed to pursuing arrests and prosecution and have been successful in some instances for long-term imprisonment. There have been 67 prosecutions in recent times,” Australian Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson told IANS in an interview here.
Mr. Ferguson said that the Australian government was not taking these attacks lightly and will do everything possible to curb the criminal acts.
“Of course if you don’t attend to these difficulties then they will do us long-term damage. Historically one of the attractions of Australia is that it’s a safe welcoming society...it’s very much such a society,” said the minister who has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1996, representing the Batman, a constituency in Melbourne, which has been the epicentre of recent attacks.
“My constituency is close to central Melbourne and there are people from 150 different countries. It a harmonious local community and there are very few places in the world where you get people from so many different countries living together and working together,” said the 57-year-old Australian Labour Party member.
“My constituency is a prime example of society in Australia. But I also have a significant number of young university students living in my electorate, in universities of Melbourne and Trobe who are very much devoting their energy and applying their minds to educational opportunities,” he said.
The spate of attacks on Indians in Australia has caused an outcry in India. One of the vicious attacks proved fatal.
The minister said steps needed to be taken to ensure quality education to Indian students at affordable cost.
“I think it is fair to say that in terms of vocational education and some English language courses, we have to attend to some issues to make sure that young Indian students get a quality education opportunity and are capable of paying for it without spending too much time working rather than applying their minds to educational requirements,” he said.
According to the minister, one of the major causes of attacks on Indian students is that they live in crime-prone suburbs and work in late shifts to survive in the country.
“There has been a 27 percent increase in the number of students in 2008-09 from the previous year. There has been tension in Victoria (the province of which Melbourne is the capital). More than 50 percent Indian students actually go there. The real problem we had is with respect to some of the students living in some of the suburbs which historically had high instances of criminality,” Mr. Ferguson said.
“They work in service stations, fast food outlets, take shift jobs at all hours of night, which is when criminality occurs. In some ways their lifestyle has put them in the frontline of attacks. We tried some laws in Victoria, we have put more police and we have got them to do random checks on people,” he added.
“The attacks (on Indian students) have hurt us in terms of perception about Australia and that’s why our law enforcement agencies have been so committed to pursuing arrests and prosecution and have been successful in some instances for long-term imprisonment. There have been 67 prosecutions in recent times,” Australian Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson told IANS in an interview here.
Mr. Ferguson said that the Australian government was not taking these attacks lightly and will do everything possible to curb the criminal acts.
“Of course if you don’t attend to these difficulties then they will do us long-term damage. Historically one of the attractions of Australia is that it’s a safe welcoming society...it’s very much such a society,” said the minister who has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1996, representing the Batman, a constituency in Melbourne, which has been the epicentre of recent attacks.
“My constituency is close to central Melbourne and there are people from 150 different countries. It a harmonious local community and there are very few places in the world where you get people from so many different countries living together and working together,” said the 57-year-old Australian Labour Party member.
“My constituency is a prime example of society in Australia. But I also have a significant number of young university students living in my electorate, in universities of Melbourne and Trobe who are very much devoting their energy and applying their minds to educational opportunities,” he said.
The spate of attacks on Indians in Australia has caused an outcry in India. One of the vicious attacks proved fatal.
The minister said steps needed to be taken to ensure quality education to Indian students at affordable cost.
“I think it is fair to say that in terms of vocational education and some English language courses, we have to attend to some issues to make sure that young Indian students get a quality education opportunity and are capable of paying for it without spending too much time working rather than applying their minds to educational requirements,” he said.
According to the minister, one of the major causes of attacks on Indian students is that they live in crime-prone suburbs and work in late shifts to survive in the country.
“There has been a 27 percent increase in the number of students in 2008-09 from the previous year. There has been tension in Victoria (the province of which Melbourne is the capital). More than 50 percent Indian students actually go there. The real problem we had is with respect to some of the students living in some of the suburbs which historically had high instances of criminality,” Mr. Ferguson said.
“They work in service stations, fast food outlets, take shift jobs at all hours of night, which is when criminality occurs. In some ways their lifestyle has put them in the frontline of attacks. We tried some laws in Victoria, we have put more police and we have got them to do random checks on people,” he added.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Overhaul in Australian immigration rules
In a bid to curb ‘back door’ permanent residency through its skilled migration scheme, Australian government has decided to overhaul the immigration rules which is likely to affect over 20,000 visa applicants, including Indians.
The changes would focus on overhauling of the queuing system that identifies occupations in demand and creates a points system.
The Immigration Minister would have the new legal authority to set a maximum number of visas for a single occupation. The state governments would be asked to develop new migration plans.
The Australian immigration department would tighten the rules from today, The Age reported.
Foreign students, who have a qualification for an occupation which is no longer in demand, could apply for a temporary 18-month visa.
This would allow them to gain work experience and give a foreign graduate time to find an employer willing to sponsor their application as a skilled migrant, and if they failed in their attempt they will have to return to their country of origin.
The cancelled applications apply to all offshore general skilled migration claims lodged before September 2007.
For onshore overseas students, government would introduce transitional arrangements to apply until 2012.
The new system would set a new list of occupations in demand and expected to favour skilled workers including nurses, general medical practitioners, mechanical engineers and teachers instead of groups such as cooks and hairdressers.
Meanwhile, Immigration Minister Chris Evans was likely to argue that the skilled migration program had not worked in Australia’s economic or demographic interests.
“The program has been delivering self-nominated migrants from a narrow range of occupations with poor to moderate English language skills who struggle to find employment in their nominated occupation,” Senator Evans said.
He was also likely to acknowledge the impact of changes on the foreign students, but said “they can still gain residency if they gain qualifications in professions that are in demand”, The Age reported.
He said the current tensions and misunderstandings have been made worse by unscrupulous migration agents.
“[These agents] have been misleading many international students into believing that a course in Australia gave them an automatic entitlement to permanent residence,” Senator Evans said. “It does not, and it will not”
Mr. Evans would also argue that the government supports skilled migration and continues to want migrants, “be they from India, the United Kingdom or China — our three largest source countries or elsewhere”.
The changes would focus on overhauling of the queuing system that identifies occupations in demand and creates a points system.
The Immigration Minister would have the new legal authority to set a maximum number of visas for a single occupation. The state governments would be asked to develop new migration plans.
The Australian immigration department would tighten the rules from today, The Age reported.
Foreign students, who have a qualification for an occupation which is no longer in demand, could apply for a temporary 18-month visa.
This would allow them to gain work experience and give a foreign graduate time to find an employer willing to sponsor their application as a skilled migrant, and if they failed in their attempt they will have to return to their country of origin.
The cancelled applications apply to all offshore general skilled migration claims lodged before September 2007.
For onshore overseas students, government would introduce transitional arrangements to apply until 2012.
The new system would set a new list of occupations in demand and expected to favour skilled workers including nurses, general medical practitioners, mechanical engineers and teachers instead of groups such as cooks and hairdressers.
Meanwhile, Immigration Minister Chris Evans was likely to argue that the skilled migration program had not worked in Australia’s economic or demographic interests.
“The program has been delivering self-nominated migrants from a narrow range of occupations with poor to moderate English language skills who struggle to find employment in their nominated occupation,” Senator Evans said.
He was also likely to acknowledge the impact of changes on the foreign students, but said “they can still gain residency if they gain qualifications in professions that are in demand”, The Age reported.
He said the current tensions and misunderstandings have been made worse by unscrupulous migration agents.
“[These agents] have been misleading many international students into believing that a course in Australia gave them an automatic entitlement to permanent residence,” Senator Evans said. “It does not, and it will not”
Mr. Evans would also argue that the government supports skilled migration and continues to want migrants, “be they from India, the United Kingdom or China — our three largest source countries or elsewhere”.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Australian police say Indian man faked attack
The Indian man, who said he was attacked and set ablaze by assailants here, had falsely reported the incident for claiming insurance, Australian police alleged on Wednesday.
Jaspreet Singh, Grice Crescent, Essendon, in the city’s north, faced an out-of-sessions hearing on Wednesday before a bail justice at St Kilda Road police complex charged with making a false report to police and criminal damage with a view to gaining a financial advantage, the Sky News TV said.
Singh, who is in Australia on his wife’s student visa, told police that he was doused with petrol and set alight as he parked his car near his home early on January 8.
Singh, 29, was taken to the Alfred hospital with 15 per cent burns, affecting his face, arms and hands.
Detective Senior Constable Danielle O’Keefe of the arson and explosives squad told the hearing Singh suffered the burns while trying to torch his 2003 Ford Futura.
O’Keefe said arson chemists and hospital staff had concluded the damage to the car, Singh’s clothes and his injuries were not consistent with his story.
“Police inquiries have led us to believe that Mr Singh is in some financial difficulty and that he intended to sell his car but instead stood to gain USD 9,750 from an insurance claim out of this particular incident,” she told the hearing.
The January 8 incident occurred amid growing tension between India and Australia over a spate of violence against Indian students in recent months here.
Police had obtained security footage depicting Singh buying a 15-litre opaque plastic container and 15.96 litres of petrol on the day before the attack. The container and other evidence were found at his unit when he was arrested yesterday, O’Keefe said.
However, Singh has denied all allegations. His wife had been questioned about her knowledge of the incident, she said.
Burns were still obvious on Singh’s face and neck, and he wore pressure bandages on his arms.
Through an interpreter, Singh told the hearing he and his wife planned a holiday to India, leaving on February 20 and returning in late April to visit his child and extended family.
O’Keefe said while police did not oppose bail it has been noted that Singh was a potential flight risk.
The justice, who declined to be named, granted him bail with strict conditions banning him from contacting witnesses and attending points of international departure.
He must report to police three times a week and surrender his passport. He will appear before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on March 15.
At the time, police Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Neil Smyth described the attack as “a bit strange” and said there was no evidence the attack was racially motivated.
Jaspreet Singh, Grice Crescent, Essendon, in the city’s north, faced an out-of-sessions hearing on Wednesday before a bail justice at St Kilda Road police complex charged with making a false report to police and criminal damage with a view to gaining a financial advantage, the Sky News TV said.
Singh, who is in Australia on his wife’s student visa, told police that he was doused with petrol and set alight as he parked his car near his home early on January 8.
Singh, 29, was taken to the Alfred hospital with 15 per cent burns, affecting his face, arms and hands.
Detective Senior Constable Danielle O’Keefe of the arson and explosives squad told the hearing Singh suffered the burns while trying to torch his 2003 Ford Futura.
O’Keefe said arson chemists and hospital staff had concluded the damage to the car, Singh’s clothes and his injuries were not consistent with his story.
“Police inquiries have led us to believe that Mr Singh is in some financial difficulty and that he intended to sell his car but instead stood to gain USD 9,750 from an insurance claim out of this particular incident,” she told the hearing.
The January 8 incident occurred amid growing tension between India and Australia over a spate of violence against Indian students in recent months here.
Police had obtained security footage depicting Singh buying a 15-litre opaque plastic container and 15.96 litres of petrol on the day before the attack. The container and other evidence were found at his unit when he was arrested yesterday, O’Keefe said.
However, Singh has denied all allegations. His wife had been questioned about her knowledge of the incident, she said.
Burns were still obvious on Singh’s face and neck, and he wore pressure bandages on his arms.
Through an interpreter, Singh told the hearing he and his wife planned a holiday to India, leaving on February 20 and returning in late April to visit his child and extended family.
O’Keefe said while police did not oppose bail it has been noted that Singh was a potential flight risk.
The justice, who declined to be named, granted him bail with strict conditions banning him from contacting witnesses and attending points of international departure.
He must report to police three times a week and surrender his passport. He will appear before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on March 15.
At the time, police Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Neil Smyth described the attack as “a bit strange” and said there was no evidence the attack was racially motivated.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Afridi given maximum penalty for ball tampering
Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi, who was slapped two Twenty20 International ban for ball tampering in the final ODI against Australia here, was booked under article 2.2.9 of ICC Code of Conduct and the match referee imposed him the maximum penalty for his offence.
Afridi, who led the visiting side in place of regular skipper Mohammad Yousuf, will miss Pakistan’s next two Twenty20 Internationals against the same opponents on February 5 in Melbourne and against England in Dubai on February 19.
“Shahid was charged with an article 2.2.9 offence of the ICC Code of Conduct which relates to ‘changing the condition of the ball in breach of Law 42.3 of the Laws of Cricket’. He has received two suspension points after breaching the Code.
Two suspension points in the code means a ban of a Test, two ODIs or two T20Is,” ICC said in a statement.
The charge was laid by on—field umpires Asoka de Silva of ICC Elite Panel of Umpires and Paul Reiffel of International Panel, third umpire Rod Tucker and fourth umpire Mick Martell.
The incident that led to the charge being laid took place when the Pakistan captain was observed in the act of changing the condition of the ball during Australia’s innings without the permission of the on—field umpires.
ICC Elite Panel Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle said, “I imposed maximum penalty under the code and reminded Shahid of his responsibilities as a national captain which is to ensure the match is played according to laws of the game and in the spirit it is intended to be played. Shahid, when pleading guilty, apologised and regretted his actions.”
Afridi, who led the visiting side in place of regular skipper Mohammad Yousuf, will miss Pakistan’s next two Twenty20 Internationals against the same opponents on February 5 in Melbourne and against England in Dubai on February 19.
“Shahid was charged with an article 2.2.9 offence of the ICC Code of Conduct which relates to ‘changing the condition of the ball in breach of Law 42.3 of the Laws of Cricket’. He has received two suspension points after breaching the Code.
Two suspension points in the code means a ban of a Test, two ODIs or two T20Is,” ICC said in a statement.
The charge was laid by on—field umpires Asoka de Silva of ICC Elite Panel of Umpires and Paul Reiffel of International Panel, third umpire Rod Tucker and fourth umpire Mick Martell.
The incident that led to the charge being laid took place when the Pakistan captain was observed in the act of changing the condition of the ball during Australia’s innings without the permission of the on—field umpires.
ICC Elite Panel Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle said, “I imposed maximum penalty under the code and reminded Shahid of his responsibilities as a national captain which is to ensure the match is played according to laws of the game and in the spirit it is intended to be played. Shahid, when pleading guilty, apologised and regretted his actions.”
Friday, January 29, 2010
Brett Lee condemns attacks on Indians in Australia
In the wake of continuing attacks on Indian students in Australia, pace bowler Brett Lee has come out strongly in condemning the violent acts and reiterated that his country was a very safe and wonderful place.
“We Australians are a multi-culture society with people from different races. I know there are some issues and I am very sad. I am working very closely with the authorities in Australia in this regard.”
Second home
He did not think the attacks on Indian students were racist in nature. “That is not the case. Whether it is Sydney, Perth or Melbourne, Australia is a place where everyone feels comfortable. We, Australians, welcome Indians with open arms much the same way I am welcomed here. I’ve said it in the past that, in many ways, India is a second home for me,” he said.
Lee dismissed the security concerns expressed by some sections of the media in Australia and said, “We are guided on security everyday by experts. It’s for the authorities to ensure that everything is fine.” He also added that he was not afraid of playing in Mumbai in the background of the threat issued by the Shiv Sena.
In the capital as brand ambassador for the Pearls group of companies, the Australian speedster said, “The way I am treated by the people of this country, it is always a very humbling experience.”
Recovering from an elbow surgery, Lee sounded confident of playing the third edition of IPL. “I feel great and so far my recovery is on schedule,” said the Kings XI Punjab speedster who was required to use a brace for eight weeks following the surgery.
On some of the Australians and Pakistani cricketers being ignored in the recent IPL auction, Lee said, “There will be cricket happening around that time (Australia is scheduled to tour New Zealand till end of March) so some of the Australians would not have been able to make it.
“If IPL is about the best players playing against those from different cultures, it would have been great to have players from Pakistan.”
When asked what he thought about a section of the media questioning India’s worthiness of being the number one Test team, he said, “It is very harsh (not to acknowledge India as the top-ranked team).”
“We Australians are a multi-culture society with people from different races. I know there are some issues and I am very sad. I am working very closely with the authorities in Australia in this regard.”
Second home
He did not think the attacks on Indian students were racist in nature. “That is not the case. Whether it is Sydney, Perth or Melbourne, Australia is a place where everyone feels comfortable. We, Australians, welcome Indians with open arms much the same way I am welcomed here. I’ve said it in the past that, in many ways, India is a second home for me,” he said.
Lee dismissed the security concerns expressed by some sections of the media in Australia and said, “We are guided on security everyday by experts. It’s for the authorities to ensure that everything is fine.” He also added that he was not afraid of playing in Mumbai in the background of the threat issued by the Shiv Sena.
In the capital as brand ambassador for the Pearls group of companies, the Australian speedster said, “The way I am treated by the people of this country, it is always a very humbling experience.”
Recovering from an elbow surgery, Lee sounded confident of playing the third edition of IPL. “I feel great and so far my recovery is on schedule,” said the Kings XI Punjab speedster who was required to use a brace for eight weeks following the surgery.
On some of the Australians and Pakistani cricketers being ignored in the recent IPL auction, Lee said, “There will be cricket happening around that time (Australia is scheduled to tour New Zealand till end of March) so some of the Australians would not have been able to make it.
“If IPL is about the best players playing against those from different cultures, it would have been great to have players from Pakistan.”
When asked what he thought about a section of the media questioning India’s worthiness of being the number one Test team, he said, “It is very harsh (not to acknowledge India as the top-ranked team).”
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Indian High Commissioner to meet officials in Queensland
Indian High Commissioner Sujatha Singh is set to hold talks with Queensland’s senior police and community leaders over the ongoing attacks on Indians in this Australian state.
Media reports said Queensland’s political leaders have defended Australia saying it is not a racist country.
The comments came after report of the Indian High Commissioner would attend a meeting with senior police and community leaders in the state.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said she believed that the country was a very tolerant and encompassing community.
“But racism from time to time does rear its ugly head,” she said.
Brisbane City Council Mayor Campbell Newman also agreed to the view, saying at an Australia Day event that he did not believe Australia was a racist country.
Media reports said Queensland’s political leaders have defended Australia saying it is not a racist country.
The comments came after report of the Indian High Commissioner would attend a meeting with senior police and community leaders in the state.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said she believed that the country was a very tolerant and encompassing community.
“But racism from time to time does rear its ugly head,” she said.
Brisbane City Council Mayor Campbell Newman also agreed to the view, saying at an Australia Day event that he did not believe Australia was a racist country.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Police replicate Nitin Garg's final moments to nab his killers
The Australian police have retraced slain Indian student Nitin Garg’s final moments in a bid to nab his killers who stabbed him to death at West Foorscray, Melbourne, on January 2, while he was on his way to work.
Victorian homicide squad detectives returned to Yarraville to retrace the 21-year-old’s last steps. Garg, a permanent Australian resident, staggered into the outlet with stab wounds before collapsing.
On Saturday, a man wearing similar jacket as Garg retraced his movements walking from the Yarraville Railway Station and cut across CJ Cruickshank Park along a metre-wide dirt path on the eastern side of the park to the Hungry Jack’s restaurant to replicate Garg’s last known movements over a 24-minute period.
"It might just jog the memory of anyone (there) that evening over anything that may be significant,” the Herald Sun quoted Detective Senior Sergeant David Snare, as saying.
Snare described progress in the investigation as steady.
He appealed to anyone in the area of the park on January 2 between 9.30 p.m. and 10.30 p.m. to contact police.
However, Mr. Snare said it was inappropriate and premature to suggest the attack may have been racially motivated.
He said operational matters were behind the decision to wait three weeks before re-enacting Garg’s final moments.
Garg’s murder follows recent attacks on Indians in Melbourne that have put Australia’s multi-billion-dollar international student sector at risk.
Indian student enrolments have fallen 46 per cent across the country in recent months, while international student enrolments are down by 20 per cent overall.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Two Indians attacked in Brisbane
Two Indians, including a cabbie, were attacked in separate incidents on Thursday night in Brisbane, a day after Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said that the assaults on Indians in the country were “regrettable“.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Attacks on Indians "regrettable"
Amid allegations of racism in Australia, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Thursday said the recent attacks on Indian youths were “regrettable” but insisted that these should be seen in the context of broader incidences of violence against locals and students of other ethnic groups.
“Regrettably, there have been some incidents recently, let’s accept that, but let’s put it into context, and also in the context of, let’s call it, the broader incidences of violence to students of other ethnic backgrounds, acts of violence against Australian students, acts of violence in particular parts of our large cities at any given time of the day,” Mr. Rudd told reporters in Adelaide.
“I think it’s important to keep all this into its context,” he said, adding “Obviously these are difficult matters in India; they are difficult matters in Australia.”
Nearly 100 cases of attacks on Indians, mostly students, were reported in Australia in 2009 as against 17 incidents of assaults in 2008.
“We are working through them in a practical and effective way over time,” Mr. Rudd said.
About 100,000 Indians were currently studying in Australia.
“The truth is this: the vast majority of Indian students in Australia are embraced entirely by the Australian community, get on with their business of studying hard, getting their qualifications and going off to do whatever they want to do with their lives,” he added.
“Regrettably, there have been some incidents recently, let’s accept that, but let’s put it into context, and also in the context of, let’s call it, the broader incidences of violence to students of other ethnic backgrounds, acts of violence against Australian students, acts of violence in particular parts of our large cities at any given time of the day,” Mr. Rudd told reporters in Adelaide.
“I think it’s important to keep all this into its context,” he said, adding “Obviously these are difficult matters in India; they are difficult matters in Australia.”
Nearly 100 cases of attacks on Indians, mostly students, were reported in Australia in 2009 as against 17 incidents of assaults in 2008.
“We are working through them in a practical and effective way over time,” Mr. Rudd said.
About 100,000 Indians were currently studying in Australia.
“The truth is this: the vast majority of Indian students in Australia are embraced entirely by the Australian community, get on with their business of studying hard, getting their qualifications and going off to do whatever they want to do with their lives,” he added.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Indian taxi driver attacked in Australia
An Indian taxi driver was assaulted on Friday in the Australian city of Ballarat by a passenger, police said.
The 24-year-old taxi driver, who was verbally abused by the passenger, sought refuge at a Ballarat service station at about 2.15 a.m. The passenger followed the driver into the service station and allegedly assaulted him, the AAP quoted a police spokeswoman as saying. The car was damaged in the incident, she said.
A 48-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the case and is in police custody.
There have been a string of attacks against Indians in Australia, with two of them proving fatal. While Ranjodh Singh’s body was found December 29, another Indian, Nitin Garg, was fatally stabbed in Melbourne on January 2. Another Indian was set on fire in Melbourne on January 9, and one assaulted at Coogee beach in Sydney on January 11.
