'Stabbed, Beaten And Left Bleeding': Indian-Origin Man Brutally Attacked With Machete In Australia

(MENAFN- Live Mint) An Indian-origin man in Australia is recovering in hospital after a brutal machete attack by a group of teenagers left him with multiple severe injuries, including a nearly severed hand. The attack took place outside a shopping centre in Melbourne's Altona Meadows suburb on the evening of July 19, the Australian Today reported.

The victim, Saurabh Anand, 33, was walking home after picking up medicine from the Central Square Shopping Centre when he was assaulted by a group of five teenagers in what appears to be a random and violent mugging.

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Speaking to The Age from his hospital bed, Anand said he was on a phone call when he noticed movement nearby. Before he could react, one of the boys began rifling through his pockets while another punched him repeatedly. A third teenager then pulled out a machete and held it to his throat.

“They didn't stop there,” Anand recalled.

“I was just trying to survive.”

The attackers went on to stab and slash him in the shoulder and back, leaving him with a fractured spine, broken bones in his arm, and serious head injuries. Bloodied and disoriented, Anand somehow managed to stumble outside the centre and cry out for help.

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Bystanders immediately rushed to his aid and called emergency services. He was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital, where doctors initially feared his left hand would have to be amputated due to the severity of his injuries. However, after hours of emergency surgery, which included the insertion of screws into his wrist, surgeons were able to reattach the hand.

“The doctors have told me the injuries are so extensive, they can't say how well the recovery will go,” he said.

Teenagers arrested, investigation ongoing

Police have arrested four teenage boys in connection with the attack and are still searching for a fifth suspect. A 14-year-old from Wyndham has been charged with intentionally causing serious injury, recklessly causing injury, robbery, and unlawful assault. He has been remanded to appear before a children's court on August 15.

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Two 15-year-olds from the Hobsons Bay area, facing similar charges, have been released on bail and are expected in court on August 11. A fourth teen, another 14-year-old, is expected to be charged soon.

Anand expressed distress upon learning that two of the attackers had been granted bail. He also said he is now afraid to return home and is staying in the hospital, where his partner has remained by his side since the incident.

“I'm just seeking justice,” he said.

The attack comes at a time when knife crime and youth violence are on the rise in the Australian state of Victoria. According to official data, police are currently making over 200 arrests a day and are confiscating a growing number of bladed weapons, including machetes.

In response to the spike in such incidents, the Victorian government has introduced stricter bail laws for repeat offenders and announced a complete ban on machete possession, which will come into effect from September 1.

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