E-Paper
Indian man attacked with machete in Melbourne, says ‘hand was hanging by a thread’
“All I remember is the pain and my hand was … hanging by a thread,” he recalled from his hospital bed.
An Indian‑origin man, 33‑year‑old Saurabh Anand, is recovering in hospital after a savage machete attack by a group of teenagers outside a shopping centre in Melbourne.
The attack
Anand had just collected medicine at around 7.30 pm from a pharmacy at Central Square Shopping Centre in Altona Meadows. While on a call with a friend, he sensed movement and “did not hear a sound” before being ambushed from behind by five boys, reports The Australia Today.
One teen rifled through his pockets, another punched him repeatedly until he fell, and a third brandished a machete at his throat. Anand raised his arm instinctively; the blade sliced through his wrist, hand, and bone. “All I remember is the pain and my hand was … hanging by a thread,” he recalled from his hospital bed.
In addition to his near‑severed hand, Anand suffered stab wounds to his shoulder and back, a fractured spine, multiple broken bones in his arm, and head trauma.
Bystanders heard Anand’s cries and called emergency services. He was rushed to Royal Melbourne Hospital, where surgeons initially contemplated amputation but ultimately reattached his left hand after hours of delicate surgery - including the insertion of screws in his wrist and hand
Anand remains under intensive care; doctors have warned his long‑term recovery remains uncertain. “I cannot move my hand… All I feel in it is pain,” he said
Police have taken four of the five teenagers into custody. A 14‑year‑old from Wyndham faces charges including intentionally causing serious injury, robbery, and unlawful assault. Two 15‑year‑olds and another 14‑year‑old from Hobsons Bay have also been charged separately and are scheduled to appear in court in August.
Anand expressed distress that two of the accused had been released on bail. “I’m seeking justice… I want this to be a catalyst for change,” he said.
