In a deeply disturbing reminder of growing racial violence against Indians abroad, a 33-year-old Indian-origin man, Saurabh Anand, is now recovering in hospital after a horrific machete assault that nearly severed his hand. The shocking incident took place outside Central Square Shopping Centre in Altona Meadows, southwest Melbourne, on the evening of Saturday, 19 July, and has sent shockwaves through the Indian community in Australia and beyond.

Anand, who had just picked up medicine from a pharmacy, was walking home around 7.30 pm when he was suddenly ambushed by five teenagers. Sharing his trauma with The Age, Anand recalled how the assault began:

“I didn’t hear a sound,”
“Within seconds, they had surrounded me.”

What followed was a vicious and unprovoked attack. One teenager rummaged through his pockets while another began punching him relentlessly on the head, forcing him to the ground. As if that wasn’t enough, a third pulled out a machete and held it to Anand’s throat.

“They didn’t stop there,” he said.
“My instinctive reaction was to bring my arm up to protect my face and wrist. While I was trying to protect myself, the machete just went through my wrist. The second attack went through my hand. The third went through the bone.”

The injuries were devastating. Along with deep cuts, Anand suffered a fractured spine, broken arm bones, and serious head wounds.

“I was just trying to survive,” he told The Age.
“All I remember is the pain and my hand was … hanging by a thread.”

Barely conscious and drenched in blood, Anand managed to stumble out of the centre and cry out for help.

“I saw someone and I just yelled out, ‘I’ve been attacked. Please help me’.”

Good Samaritans responded quickly, calling emergency services. Anand was rushed to Royal Melbourne Hospital, where doctors initially thought they might have to amputate his left hand. However, after hours of surgery and the insertion of screws into his wrist, they successfully reattached the limb.

Despite the successful operation, his road to recovery remains uncertain.

“The doctors say my injuries are so severe that they’re unsure how this is going to go,” he said.
“I cannot move my hand … All I feel in it is pain.”

Victoria Police have arrested four teenagers so far. A 14-year-old from Wyndham faces charges of intentionally causing serious injury, robbery, and unlawful assault and will appear before a children’s court on 15 August. Two 15-year-olds from Hobsons Bay were granted bail and will appear on 11 August, while a fourth 14-year-old is expected to be charged soon.

Anand expressed deep distress over the bail releases.

“I’m seeking justice,” he said.
“I don’t want anyone else in the community to be going through the same trauma I have.”

He admitted he is too scared to return home, and his partner now sleeps by his hospital bedside.

“I want this to be a catalyst for change, where people understand the consequences of doing this to another human.”

This gruesome attack comes during a sharp increase in knife-related crimes and youth violence in Victoria. Recent police data show a record 208 arrests per day, with a rising number of edged weapons being seized. In response, the Victorian Government has announced stricter bail laws and a complete ban on machete possession effective 1 September.

“F* off, Indian”: Racist Gang Attack on Student in Adelaide Sparks Outrage

Shockingly, another racially charged attack occurred on the same day, 19th July, this time in Adelaide, South Australia, where Charanpreet Singh, an Indian student, was assaulted by a gang of men in a vicious hate crime.

Charanpreet and his wife were enjoying a peaceful evening exploring city lights when a parking lot dispute quickly turned into a violent, racially-motivated assault.

_“They just said ‘f* off, Indian,’ and started punching me,”** Singh told 9News.
**“I tried to fight back, but they beat me until I was unconscious.”_**

Singh was hit so badly that he suffered brain trauma and facial fractures. CCTV footage circulating online shows the brutal assault by five men, allegedly using metal knuckles, while a woman, helplessly recording the incident, begged them to stop.

He was eventually taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, where he is now receiving treatment. So far, one suspect has been taken into custody, while police continue searching for the others.

The incident provoked condemnation from South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas, who issued a firm statement:

“Any suggestion of a racial attack is utterly unacceptable in our state.”

These back-to-back incidents illustrate a terrifying trend of targeted racial violence against Indians living abroad, particularly in countries like Australia. Both Saurabh Anand and Charanpreet Singh, who were simply living their daily lives, have now become victims of trauma that will take much more than surgery and police action to heal. The Indian diaspora is now calling for stronger accountability, both from foreign governments and from Indian missions abroad, to ensure that such acts do not go unchecked.

A Global Pattern of Fear: Indians Abroad Face Increasing Brutality and Bias

Stripped and Bleeding on the Streets of Dublin: An Irish Nightmare

On 19th July, the same day as the attacks in Australia, yet another horrifying case emerged—this time from Dublin, Ireland, where a 40-year-old Indian-origin man was beaten and stripped in broad daylight by a mob in the Tallaght suburb. The assault sent waves of shock through both the Indian diaspora and Irish society.

The man was later rescued by concerned locals who found him bleeding heavily from his face, arms, and legs and rushed him to Tallaght University Hospital for treatment. Images from the scene showed him in a humiliating and deeply injured state, lying exposed and bloodied on the roadside.

Even more disturbingly, false narratives began spreading across social media shortly after the attack.

“Far-right groups were reported to have spread false rumours on social media to justify the attack.”

According to Gardaí, Ireland's national police force, the attackers falsely claimed the man was behaving inappropriately around children—a rumour that was widely amplified by far-right and anti-immigrant accounts.

But the authorities were clear:

“The police, however, said that those claims had no basis in reality.”

The Gardaí are now treating the incident as a possible hate crime, as the entire episode appears to have been fuelled by xenophobia, misinformation, and racial prejudice.

A Dream Cut Short: Indian Student Gunned Down at a Bus Stop in Canada

On 25th April 2024, 21-year-old Harsimrat Randhawa, a promising student at Mohawk College, was shot dead while waiting at a bus stop—becoming a tragic victim of violence in a foreign land.

“She was an innocent bystander in a shoot-out between two cars, a black Mercedes SUV and a white car.”
“She was shot in the chest by one of them, and she died on the spot despite attempts by paramedics.”

Randhawa had come to Canada filled with hope, like many Indian students who seek better education and opportunity abroad. But her sudden death has left the entire Indian student community in Canada reeling, sparking urgent conversations about public safety and the risks students face daily.

Security Guard Shot in Cold Blood in Edmonton

Just a few months before Randhawa's killing, 20-year-old Harshandeep Singh, another Indian student, was shot dead while working as a security guard in Edmonton, Canada, in December 2024. This murder, caught on CCTV, shocked Canadians and Indians alike.

“Singh was discovered dead in a stairwell after three persons attacked him and shot him.”
“A CCTV video of the incident depicts three individuals harassing and pushing the 20-year-old student downstairs, with one of them shooting him from behind.”

The video further revealed the gruesome detail that the assailants used what seemed like a large weapon and fled the scene immediately after the attack.

“Immediately after shooting Singh with what seems to be a humongous weapon, the three culprits leave the scene.”

Two of the suspects have since been charged with first-degree murder, but Singh’s death remains a chilling example of how vulnerable Indian youths abroad are—even while doing routine jobs.

Murdered in His Own Apartment: Gurasis Singh’s Story

Another chilling case unfolded in Sarnia, Ontario, on 1st December 2024, when 22-year-old Gurasis Singh was stabbed to death in his rented home—only four months after arriving in Canada to pursue higher education.

The attack took place in the early morning hours and reportedly began as a dispute with a neighbour. But Gurasis’s father suspects something far more sinister.

“Gurasis’ father is convinced his son was attacked in his sleep.”

The alleged attacker, 36-year-old Crossley Hunter, has been charged with second-degree murder. The Sarnia police confirmed that the fatal stabbing took place in the kitchen of Singh’s residence.

“The Sarnia police say the stabbing occurred in the kitchen of the residence where Gurasis resided.”

The incident has deepened the fear and anxiety among Indian students and their families, many of whom now question the very safety of pursuing dreams abroad.

A Statistical Horror: MEA Reveals Stark Reality of Attacks on Indians Abroad

The surge in such violent cases is not an illusion—it is documented and alarming. According to data shared by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in December 2024, the frequency of brutal attacks on Indian students and citizens overseas has risen at an alarming pace.

“At least 91 Indian students have been brutally attacked outside India over the last five years, with 30 of them being killed.”

Among these, Canada tops the list with 16 Indian fatalities, followed by Russia and the UK. The numbers reflect a disturbing trend that has tripled within two years:

“There were four cases in 2022, but this increased to 28 in 2023, and 40 cases in 2024 alone, the MEA told Rajya Sabha in March 2025.”

And the brutality has not been limited to students alone:

“In 2021, there were 29 such cases. This rose to 57 in 2022, and 86 in 2023 almost three times in two years.”

This data is a grave warning about the increasing risks faced by Indians abroad—not just due to random violence, but increasingly, because of racially driven and targeted assaults.