In the early hours of May 29, 2025, what began as a private, emotional moment between a husband and wife turned into a tragedy that now haunts the Indian diaspora across Australia. 42-year-old Gaurav Kundi, a father of two and an Indian-origin man living in Adelaide, was left critically injured and placed on life support following a violent encounter with South Australian police. The events unfolded on Payneham Road, in the seemingly quiet suburb of Royston Park, where Kundi and his wife Amritpal Kaur had stepped outside their home.

According to police accounts, officers were on patrol when they noticed what they described as an “altercation” between the couple. Gaurav Kundi was reportedly intoxicated and speaking loudly when his wife stepped out to de-escalate the situation. She later clarified to the media that her intention was to calm him down and convince him to come back inside, telling him plainly, “You are drunk… let’s get back home.”

But what followed next was a terrifying escalation. Amritpal Kaur explained that during their exchange, Kundi “just pushed me a little bit” in frustration — a moment she now believes drew the attention of the passing police car. Misreading the situation, the officers apparently assumed it was a domestic violence incident. Without seeking clarification, they moved in to arrest Kundi.

A George Floyd-Type Arrest – Caught on Camera

What happened next is eerily familiar to anyone who remembers the George Floyd incident in the United States — except this time, it was on Australian soil, and the man gasping for breath was a person of Indian origin.

Video footage, both from body-worn police cameras and from bystanders, shows the chilling sequence. Kundi is seen being forced down onto Payneham Road, while both he and his wife cry out in protest. He can be heard shouting, “I didn’t do anything wrong,” as officers wrestled him to the ground with growing aggression.

In the background, Kaur’s desperate voice pleads with the police, insisting they were making a mistake and that their response was “unfair.” But no one listened. During the struggle, Kundi lost consciousness. What pushed it beyond control was the shocking moment Kaur witnessed: she later told 9News that she “stopped filming” because she panicked — one of the officers had driven a knee into Kundi’s neck, much like Derek Chauvin did to George Floyd in 2020.

Terrified and sobbing, Kaur screamed for help, telling the officers, “he’s not well, he’s not well… just call the ambulance.” But by then, the damage had been done. One bystander’s video shows Kundi lying completely still, unresponsive on the pavement just moments after the forceful knee strike.

Paramedics were finally called, and Kundi was rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. But what the doctors found was devastating. According to medical reports shared by the family and Australian media, his head had been slammed against the side of a police car and then into the road, causing extensive damage to his brain and neck nerves. Doctors feared the worst.

Amritpal Kaur, holding back tears, later revealed the bleak diagnosis: the doctors told them his brain was “totally damaged.” She added, “Maybe he will wake up if his brain works, or maybe he will not.” As of early June 2025, Gaurav Kundi remains on life support, in a coma, while hospital officials describe his condition as “critical”, with severe and possibly irreversible brain trauma.

As public outrage grew — especially among the Indian community in Australia — South Australia Police announced that an internal investigation had been initiated. The case was referred to the state’s Major Crime division.

By June 2, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens addressed the media. Having reviewed body-cam footage of the incident, he declared that the officers had “acted in line with their training.” This echoed the now-familiar refrain heard across Western law enforcement whenever a person of color ends up in the ICU or a morgue.

Acting Assistant Commissioner John DeCandia, in an interview with ABC Radio, added that he was “comfortable” with what he had seen of the officers’ actions. It was a statement that only deepened the distrust among those following the case. Despite the severe consequences of the arrest, no officer has been charged, nor have their names been released. Both remain on active duty, and no disciplinary action has been taken.

In response to mounting pressure, a Commissioner’s Inquiry has been launched. This inquiry is expected to review police procedures, use-of-force protocols, and how such cases are handled. Yet, with state authorities closing ranks, few are hopeful. Premier Peter Malinauskas chose to back the police publicly, stating that they had “a really difficult job” and deserved support for doing it.

Meanwhile, in a statement that felt almost scripted, the police department claimed that Kundi “violently resisted” arrest — a familiar phrase often used to deflect blame from authorities. As of June 3, the South Australia Police Department reiterated that it was “satisfied” with how its officers had acted so far.

Family’s Anguish and Indian Community’s Outcry

While Gaurav Kundi fights for his life in a hospital bed, his wife Amritpal Kaur has refused to leave his side. Grieving and overwhelmed, she has taken it upon herself to raise awareness about what truly happened that night. In multiple interviews, she clarified that the incident had been misrepresented by authorities. She emphasized repeatedly that the altercation was never violent or abusive, saying, “he is just drunk and that’s why he is loud.”

To her, what the police saw was not a threat — it was simply a misunderstanding between a husband and wife, one that spiraled into a nightmare due to hasty assumptions and unchecked force. Her voice trembling with emotion, Amritpal now lives each day surrounded by hospital machines and uncertainty, hoping the man she loves will wake up — and that someone, somewhere, will take accountability.

The Indian media, deeply shaken by the incident, has picked up her story and echoed her concerns. Prominent outlets across India have highlighted the shocking level of police force used, pointing to the video evidence where Kundi’s head was slammed into a car and the road, followed by a knee pressed into his neck. These images have sparked outrage across continents.

On social media, the Indian diaspora has erupted in anger. Hashtags like #JusticeForGaurav are being shared by thousands, calling for answers, justice, and transparency. What’s more disturbing is the silence of those in power. As of now, no official statement has been issued by the Indian government, nor has there been any acknowledgment from the Australian police union. For many, this silence is just as loud as the injustice itself.

Racism in Australia: The Elephant in the Room

What happened to Gaurav Kundi has done more than just shock the conscience — it has reopened old wounds. This is not just about one man. It’s about how people of Indian origin are still seen, treated, and marginalized in a country they call home.

With over 700,000 Indians now residing in Australia, they form the second-largest immigrant group in the nation, after British nationals. They are doctors, students, teachers, business owners — and yet, they continue to face prejudice and discrimination with alarming regularity.

A recent study reveals a stark truth: nearly 50% of Indian-born Australians reported experiencing racial or ethnic discrimination in just the past year — double the national average. This isn’t just a statistic; it’s a lived reality. The question is no longer “if” Indians will face racism in Australia — it’s “when.”

The racism isn’t always behind closed doors. It’s public. During the Australia-India cricket Test series, videos circulated online showing local fans mocking Indian spectators, chanting “where’s your visa?” A supposedly friendly sports environment became a space of xenophobic hostility. Experts have also warned about a troubling trend called “algorithmic racism,” where social media platforms unknowingly boost or normalize hateful content targeting immigrants — especially those of Indian or South Asian origin.

This isn’t the first time the world has watched Australia grapple with its treatment of Indians. Between 2009 and 2010, a wave of violent attacks on Indian students in Melbourne shocked both New Delhi and Canberra. The frequency and brutality of the assaults were so severe that Australia was forced to issue a formal apology to the Indian government. Then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd flew to India to personally address the concerns. An inquiry was conducted by the Australia India Institute, which uncovered deeply rooted racial attitudes and systemic failures.

But have things really changed since then?

According to experts like Sukhmani Khorana of the University of New South Wales, this is part of a broader pattern. Some parts of Australian society, feeling “economically insecure,” lash out by othering successful migrants. The result? Individuals like Gaurav Kundi become the collateral damage of deeper societal anxieties — punished not for what they’ve done, but for what they represent.

This time, the world is watching. The Australian government’s response to the Gaurav Kundi incident will be a test. Will there be accountability, or will this case too be swept under the bureaucratic carpet?

Community advocates are making their stance clear. They say accountability must be non-negotiable. The Anti-Racism Framework consultations in 2023 had already emphasized the urgent need to acknowledge systemic bias and reform existing protocols. This case has thrown that urgency back into the spotlight.

Some argue that the police should be presumed to have acted fairly, and that we must wait for investigations to finish. But to those in the Indian diaspora, that trust is long broken. Many feel that despite their contributions and numbers, they are still treated as “other.” As Khorana rightly points out, visibility does not equal safety. Even as Indian-Australians grow in number, they remain vulnerable to unfair targeting, suspicion, and — as in Kundi’s case — irreversible harm.

The case is still unfolding. The South Australia Major Crime Unit and the Commissioner’s Inquiry are expected to release their findings soon. Kundi’s family, through their lawyer, have demanded full transparency and public disclosure of all investigation outcomes.

Meanwhile, Amritpal Kaur’s prayers remain unanswered. Her husband lies unresponsive, machines keeping him alive. She appeals to everyone — across Australia, India, and the globe — to not forget his name, to not let the footage fade from memory.

This is more than a tragedy. It is a wake-up call.

What happened to Gaurav Kundi was not an isolated incident — it is a symptom of a society where systemic bias against NRIs is growing, not shrinking. It’s a harsh truth, but one we must face: Australia is becoming one of the most dangerous places for Indian-origin residents.

No one will save you — not your friends, not your government, and not even the system you thought would protect you.