Protest by foreign students in Russia

Protests prompt governor to personally monitor the probe into the incident.

The brutal killing of an Indian in a suspected racial attack has triggered angry protests by foreign students in the Russian city of St Petersburg, prompting its governor to personally monitor the probe into the murder.

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Governor Valentina Matviyenko had a meeting with the city prosecutor probing the September 24 murder of Nitesh Kumar Singh, a final year student at the Mechnikov Medical Academy.

Matviyenko has decide to personally monitor the probe, according to state-run Russia TV.

Singh, 27, was stabbed several times in the back by unidentified youth in a suspected hate crime near his hostel when he was returning after shopping on Sunday evening.

The killing has angered foreign student community in St Petersburg that has accused authorities of failing to check racial attacks against Asians and Africans.

The angry students picketed the office of the rector of the Mechnikov Medical Academy and City Prosecutor's office.

Several students from Africa and Vietnam have been killed in St Petersburg in recent years and scores injured in the racist attacks. Authorities have failed to provide security to the students and punish perpetrators of the racial attacks, the students alleged.

Indian students in St Petersburg also protested the alleged lack of support from Indian authorities for their demand for more security following Singh's murder.

Dozens of students stopped the car of Indian Consul General Jordana D Pavel as she was leaving the Academy after meeting the Indian student body. They complained that Indian Consulate had turned a deaf ear to their complaints.