Krishna meets racial attack victim Shravan Kumar

A concerned External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Sunday met Indian student Shravan Kumar, who is yet to fully recover from a brutal assault by a group of teenagers in Melbourne in May, and enquired about his health.

The 25-year-old student from Andhra Pradesh, one of the first victims of the racial strikes in Australia, was attacked by a screwdriver by the local teens, who also assaulted his three Indian friends.

Krishna, who conveyed the Indian government's concerns to the Australian leadership on the student issue, met Kumar at his residence in Melbourne and offered him Rs one lakh from his personal account.

During the 15-minute meeting, the minister spoke to the victim's father about his health and extended his sympathies.

Krishna brought flowers and fruits for Kumar, who had slipped into coma following the attack and was discharged recently from hospital after his health condition improved.

Kumar's father T Chidambara Rao said the Indian government is taking all necessary steps to provide relief to them.

All medical expenditure has been taken care of both the Victorian state and Indian governments, he said.

Kumar is yet to recover fully from the attack due to which he suffered the loss of memory, vision and hearing.