A 29-year-old Indian-origin man was set ablaze by a group of four attackers in Melbourne on Saturday, a week after a student from the country was stabbed to death amid a slew of assaults on the community in Australia.
The man, who suffered 15 per cent burns including on his arms, chest and face, was admitted to The Alfred hospital after he was attacked shortly before 2 am local time (0730 HRS IST) in Melbourne's Essendon area.
The man, who was not identified, and his wife left a dinner party in Essendon, in the city's northwest, between 1.30 am and 2 am and drove to their nearby home in Grice Crescent. He dropped his wife at home and had gone to park his car when he was attacked, local media reported.
Police said that as he was getting out of the car, four men attacked him, pushing him back against the vehicle and pouring an unknown fluid on him. One of the men then ignited the fluid with a lighter before all the attackers fled.
The victim, who is now in a stable condition in the hospital, ran from the car while peeling off his clothes, The Age reported.
{{/usCountry}}The victim, who is now in a stable condition in the hospital, ran from the car while peeling off his clothes, The Age reported.
{{/usCountry}}The attack comes a week after the stabbing death 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.