The Ministry of External Affairs cautions Indian students who are planning to study in Australia that there have been several incidents of robbery and assault on Indians in Australia, particularly in Melbourne, which has seen an increase in violence on its
streets in recent years, with the offenders suspected to be mainly young people in their teens and early 20s.
The most recent incident of this kind has been the fatal stabbing of a young Indian, aged 21 years old, in Melbourne on 2 January, as he was walking to his place of work late at night from a train station through a public park.
These incidents are continuing to occur despite efforts by the local police to step up anti-crime measures, and are occurring all over Melbourne without any discernable pattern or rationale behind them. Increasingly also, the acts of violence, are often accompanied
by verbal abuse, fuelled by alcohol and drugs.
While, the majority of Indian students studying in Australia, especially those enrolled in Universities and reputable institutions, have a positive experience of living and studying in Australia, the number of such incidents of assault as well as of robbery
has been on the rise in recent months, which has affected not only Indian students but also members of the larger Indian community in Australia.
Keeping these factors in view, the Government of India advises Indian students studying in Australia as well as those planning to study there, that they should take certain basic precautions in being alert to their own security while moving around:
- Do not travel alone late at night.
- If you are travelling alone, make sure that you have checked out
- your route carefully and that you keep to well-lit, populated
- areas as far as possible.
- Make sure that someone knows where you are going and at what
- time you are expected to return.
- Don't carry more cash with you than what is required.
- Do not make it obvious that you are in possession of expensive
- items, such as ipods or laptops.
- Always carry some identification with you as well as details of
- who should be contacted in an emergency.
- If in danger, dial 000 to get police help.
- In case you have a complaint, get in touch with the officer
- responsible for students welfare in the High Commission or the
- Consulate nearest to you.
For further details in this regard please visit Indian High Commission Canberra website Click Here
Please see the earlier Advisory issued on June 12, 2009
Contact Details : Student Welfare Officers
CANBERRA
Mr. R.K. Kapoor, Second Secretary,
High Commission of India,
3-5 Moonah Place, Yarralumla ACT 2600
Tel 02-6225 4920
Mobile: 0432 585 493
SYDNEY
Mr. Gautam Roy,
Consul,Consulate General of India,
25, Bligh Street, Level 27, Sydney, NSW 2000
Tel : 02-9223 9241
Mobile : 0413 770 598
MELBOURNE
Mr. Anil K. Gupta
Consul,
Consulate General of India,
15, Munro Street, Coburg, VIC 3058
Tel : 03-9383 1052
Mobile : 0430 020 828
New Delhi