Indian student stabbed to death in Australia, two brothers from Haryana arrested

Two brothers from Karnal, Haryana, wanted in connection with a fatal stabbing of a fellow Indian student in Melbourne, have been arrested in New South Wales, Australia. The victim, also from Karnal, was pursuing an MTech degree in Australia.

Abhijeet (26) and Robin Gartan (27) were arrested in Goulburn on Tuesday morning, following a search by Victoria Police homicide detectives.

Victoria detectives travelled to Goulburn for a court hearing scheduled for Wednesday at the local Goulburn court. The brothers, residents of Bastara village in Karnal, are expected to undergo extradition back to Victoria, according to The Times of India.

The two brothers had been on the run since Sunday, after the death of 22-year-old Navjeet Sandhu and injury to 30-year-old Sharvan Kumar at an Ormond home in Melbourne’s southeast.

Sandhu, originally from Gagsina village in Karnal, was fatally stabbed in the chest on Sunday night.

Sandhu was attacked with a knife when he tried to intervene in a fight among Indian students over some rent issue, according to his uncle Yashvir, a resident of Karnal.

He arrived in Australia on a study visa in November 2022. He was pursuing an MTech degree in Melbourne.

The accused were also living in Melbourne, according to the report.

Sandhu’s family believes that the attack stemmed from a conflict involving an acquaintance of their son.

“Navjeet Singh Sandhu, a bright and aspiring young man from a humble farmer family in India, tragically lost his life while trying to mediate a fight in Melbourne, Australia. Navjeet came to Australia on a student visa with hopes of securing a better future for his family back home. He was the sole son of his parents and a loving brother to two sisters,” according to the GoFundMe page.