He suffered brain trauma and multiple facial fractures and required overnight treatment.
An Indian student has been claimed to be the victim of a racially charged and violent attack in a parking confrontation in Adelaide, South Australia, last week. The altercation took place close to Kintore Avenue at 9:22 PM on Saturday when the victim, Charanpreet Singh, and his wife were out viewing the city's light festivals.
As per The Australia Today and 9News reports, Singh was accosted by a group of men who started abusing him racially.
"They just said 'f**k off, Indian', and after that they just started punching," he further added. "Things like this, when they happen, it makes you feel like you should go back. You can change anything in your body, but you can't change the colours."
Graphic videos of the attack were shared on social media, depicting five men attacking Singh with what seemed to be metal knuckles or sharp objects. In the video, the attackers punch him in the face and abdomen and continuously kick him as a woman cries out in terror and begs them to stop.
The attackers then got into their car after beating him and left Singh lying unconscious on the ground.
Emergency officials arrived soon after the attack and took Singh to Royal Adelaide Hospital. He experienced brain trauma and several facial breaks and needed to be treated overnight.
A police spokesman confirmed that a 20-year-old Enfield man had been arrested and charged with causing harm by assault. Police are studying CCTV footage and continuing with their investigations to find the other accused.
"When the police arrived, the victim was on the floor and had facial injuries. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. Investigations are ongoing," the spokesman said to The Indian Sun.
The attack has caused outrage across Adelaide's Indian community and resulted in calls for greater security for international students and immigrants.
Decrying the assault, South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas said, "Any time we notice any sort of evidence of any racial attack, it is entirely undesirable in our state and just not in line with where the vast majority of our community are at."
