India following up case of attack on Indian origin man

NEW DELHI: India on Saturday said it was vigorously following up with Australian authorities the latest attack on an Indian origin man in Melbourne and asked the media to exercise restraint in reporting as it could have a bearing on bilateral ties.

"The Indian high commissioner in Canberra and consul general in Melbourne are following up this matter vigorously with the Australian authorities," external affairs ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said.

He said Indian authorities were informed that 29-year-old Jaspreet Singh had suffered burn injuries in an attack by unidentified assailants in Melbourne early this morning.

"No further details regarding the individual or incident are available at present," he said.

Terming the incident as "unfortunate", Prakash said the condition of the victim was not critical but he has been hospitalised and is receiving treatment.

"Under the circumstances, the media is advised to exercise utmost restraint in reporting on these sensitive issues, as it could aggravate the situation and could have a bearing on our bilateral relations with Australia," the spokesman said.

The attack comes a week after the murder of 21-year-old Indian graduate Nitin Garg in a Yarraville park while he was on his way to his part-time job in a restaurant.