Brothers Arrested for Murder of Indian-Origin Student in Australia's Melbourne

Navjeet Sandhu, an Indian-origin student, was stabbed to death in Melbourne on 5 May.

Navjeet Sandhu, a 22-year-old MTech student from Haryana's Karnal, was stabbed to death on Sunday, 5 May, in Melbourne's Ormond area when he tried intervening in a fight between some Indian students over the issue of rent.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Two brothers of Indian descent were arrested by the New South Wales Police in Australia on Tuesday, 7 May, in connection with the fatal stabbing of an Indian student, officials told The Quint.

Who is the deceased? Navjeet Sandhu, a 22-year-old MTech student from Haryana's Karnal, was stabbed to death on Sunday, 5 May, in Melbourne's Ormond when he tried intervening in a fight between some Indian students allegedly over the issue of rent.

Navjeet Sandhu.

The accused, Abhijeet (26) and Robin Gartan (27), hail from Karnal as well.

What did the police say? In a statement shared with The Quint, Victoria Police media department head Natalie Webster said:

"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."

Abhijeet Gartan.

Robin Gartan.

What Led To the Incident? 

Yashvir Singh, an uncle of the deceased, told presspersons in Karnal that a man named Shravan, who was a friend of Sandhu's, asked him to accompany him to his house to pick up some belongings.

Shravan shared the house with the accused Abhijeet and Robin Gartan – who are residents of Karnal's Bastara village.

"Shravan went inside the house while Navjeet sat in the car. However, he heard some loud noises, and then entered the house to find that there was a scuffle between Shravan and two others. When he tried to intervene, Abhijeet and Robin attacked him with a knife. He was fatally stabbed in the chest," Singh said.

Shravan is also said to have sustained injuries during the skirmish.

The Victoria Police said that they got a call about the incident in Ormond's North Road at around 1:00 AM on Sunday.

"A 22-year-old Noble Park man suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene, while a 30-year-old Noble Park man was taken to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries," Webster said.

Subsequently, the Victoria Police's Homicide Squad shared information and pictures of the two suspects on various social media platforms. They also said that the brothers were travelling in a stolen 2014 white Toyota Camry sedan.

Kin urges government intervention: Meanwhile, the kin of the deceased have urged the Government of India to assist in bringing Sandhu's body back as soon as possible. According to Yashvir Singh, Sandhu's father – who is a farmer – had sold one-and-half acres of his land to pay for his son's education.

Sandhu had moved to Australia on a study visa around 1.5 years ago.

(With inputs from PTI.)