Indian student attacked in Australia

In yet another attack on Indian students in Australia, a 23-year-old youth from the community was stabbed in the chest by unidentified assailants here on Wednesday, police said.

The student, who was also a cabbie, was attacked and left to bleed on a Brunswick West street, police said. The victim parked his taxi outside his girlfriend's home on Collier Crescent in the wee hours today and rang her to bring his dinner outside when someone approached his vehicle, The Age reported.

His girlfriend heard the driver scream out over the phone as he was attacked, police officer Greg Johnson was quoted as saying by the paper. The woman ran outside and found her boyfriend lying outside the car, bleeding with a single stab wound to the chest.

Police do not believe the attack was racially motivated or an attempted robbery as the man still had cash in his pocket and his mobile phone, the paper said. Investigators are examining whether another car was involved.

The taxi has damage to the rear of the vehicle and bits of a broken front headlight were found near the scene. "That is certainly one of the lines of inquiry we'll be looking along, that it could be a road rage incident," Johnson said.

Paramedics were called to the scene just before 2 am and took the man to Royal Melbourne Hospital where he remains in a serious condition. Intensive care paramedic Sean Lowell said they arrived within eight minutes to find the man on the ground next to his car.

"The man had been stabbed in the upper body and first aid was being applied by police officers," Lowell said adding "When we arrived police were helping stem the blood flow by applying pressure to his wound. "Given the seriousness of his condition, it was important for him to get further treatment at hospital as soon as possible."

Police said officers were door-knocking the area and checking CCTV footage from inside the taxi. Since June this year, over 30 Indian youths have been attacked in various cities of Australia.