Australia: Brothers Arrested For Murder Of Indian MTech Student In Melbourne

Two Indian-origin brothers have been arrested in connection with the murder of a 22-year-old MTech student from India, who was stabbed to death in Australia. Abhijeet Abhijeet and Robin Gartan, both brothers who are of Indian descent, were caught by the police hours after the murder in Melbourne.

“Brothers Abhijeet and Robin Gartan were arrested in Goulburn this morning with the assistance of NSW Police. Detectives will travel to NSW today and the pair are expected to face Goulburn Local Court tomorrow, where investigators will apply to extradite them back to Victoria,” Victoria Police media department head Natalie Webster said in a statement shared with The Quint.

Navjeet Sandhu was fatally attacked with a knife by another student when he tried to intervene in a dispute between a few Indian students over some rent issue, according to the deceased victim’s uncle Yashvir in Karnal, Haryana. Earlier this week, Victoria Police said their Homicide Squad detectives had released details and images of two men they were searching for following a stabbing in Ormond in Melbourne’s south-east.

“Navjeet’s friend (another Indian student) had asked him to accompany him to his house to pick up his belongings as he had a car. While his friend went inside, Navjeet heard some shouts and saw there was a scuffle. When Navjeet tried to intervene asking them not to fight, he was fatally stabbed in the chest with a knife,” Yashvir, who’ll retire from the Army in July, said.

He added that like Navjeet, the alleged accused also hails from Karnal. Yashvir said the family got the information about the incident early Sunday morning. Navjeet’s friend, whom he was accompanying, also sustained injuries in the incident, the uncle of the deceased said. Yashvir said the family is in a state of shock. “Navjeet was a brilliant student and was to join his family in July for vacations,” he said.

According to Yashvir, Navjeet had moved to Australia on a study visa one-and-a-half years ago and his father, a farmer, had sold one-and-half acres of their land to fund his education. “We urge the Government of India to help us to bring the body as soon as possible,” he said.

(With agency inputs)