Three Indians attacked by 70 locals in Australia

After a brief lull in attacks on Indians in Australia, two students and their uncle were "brutally bashed" by a group of around 70

youth while playing here.

26-year-old Sukhdip Singh, his brother Gurdeep Singh and uncle Mukhtair Singh were attacked by the group when they were playing pool in the eastern suburb of Epping on Saturday.

"At around 11'o clock my brother in law Sukhdip was playing pool along with few family members when they were attacked by around 70 locals who were attending a party," said the victim's relative Onkar Singh.

"They were quietly playing and were trying to avoid trouble even after these locals were trying to provoke them by passing comments," he said.

The group started telling them to go back to their country. "When they reached the car park to leave the place a huge crowd attacked them and started bashing. The attackers were in their teens and around twenties," he said.

Onkar claimed police have informed him that six of the 70 attackers have been arrested.

The attacks come a month after Australian government assured external affairs minister S M Krishna, during his visit here, that Indian students will be protected. Around 30 Indian students were attacked in various cities from June to August 2009.

Stung by the racial attack against three Indians here, Victorian Police said it has launched investigations in to the circumstances

surrounding the incident.

Dismissing the contention by relatives of the victims that a group of 70 people attacked the three Indians, it said only four men were involved in the assault and a group of up to 20 were bystanders.

"Four men had been involved in the actual assault and a group of up to 20 had been bystanders," Acting Senior Sergeant Glenn Parker was quoted as saying by 'The Age'.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said police had witnessed about 15 men and women making racist comments and one woman throwing water on a bystander during the heated incident.

She said the group continued to sling racist abuse and threats at the victims as police took them away from the scene. The Victoria Police has launched an investigations "in to the circumstances surrounding the racial attack."

26-year-old Sukhdip Singh, who arrived here a month ago on a spouse visa, his brother Gurdeep Singh and uncle Mukhtair Singh were attacked by a group of Australians when they were playing pool in a bar in Epping suburb on Saturday.