Melbourne:
A month after 25-year-old Ranjodh Singh was found murdered off a highway in Australia, his body arrived in New Delhi Friday.
An autopsy carried out in Australia revealed that Singh, 25, who had been bound and had histhroat slashed, had been stabbed many times and was set on fire whilehe was still alive.
"It certainly was a very horrific scene," Assistant Police CommissionerMark Murdoch said, adding, "Given the injuries that Singh sustained andgiven the fact that he was set on fire [while] still alive it'sprobably at the upper end of the scale in terms of murders."
( Watch:Ranjodh Singh's brother speaks to NDTV)
Early 2009, the newly-married young man had left for Australia to work on a farm in Brisbane. His wife had enrolled in a Melbourne college.
Ranjodh would call his Patiala home every day without fail. On December 27 when he didn't call, his family got worried.
''We called his friends and found out he was in a party. Then the police found his body. He had been burnt alive," said Satnam Singh, Ranjodh's brother.
Three people present at that party have been arrested, all Indian nationals.
The Australian police say Ranjodh and the accused met during a fruit-picking season in Griffith and it was an internal dispute that led to the horrific murder.
The Australian High Commissioner in Delhi, Peter Varghese, welcomed thearrests as a breakthrough in the case, but pointed out that this provesthat not all Indians who're being attacked in Australia are victims ofracism, and that the media must be careful in reporting on these cases.
Ranjodh's uncle was more measured in his reaction.
"We don't know who has done this. We have to believe the authorities there. Only they can find out," said Ranjodh's uncle.
Ranjodh's case, coming as it did right in the middle of a spate of attacks against Indians, was thought to be one of racist violence.
For many Indians the Australian dream has turned into a nightmare. The government says treat each case separately, they may all not be racially motivated.
An autopsy carried out in Australia revealed that Singh, 25, who had been bound and had histhroat slashed, had been stabbed many times and was set on fire whilehe was still alive.
"It certainly was a very horrific scene," Assistant Police CommissionerMark Murdoch said, adding, "Given the injuries that Singh sustained andgiven the fact that he was set on fire [while] still alive it'sprobably at the upper end of the scale in terms of murders."
( Watch:Ranjodh Singh's brother speaks to NDTV)
Early 2009, the newly-married young man had left for Australia to work on a farm in Brisbane. His wife had enrolled in a Melbourne college.
Ranjodh would call his Patiala home every day without fail. On December 27 when he didn't call, his family got worried.
''We called his friends and found out he was in a party. Then the police found his body. He had been burnt alive," said Satnam Singh, Ranjodh's brother.
Three people present at that party have been arrested, all Indian nationals.
The Australian police say Ranjodh and the accused met during a fruit-picking season in Griffith and it was an internal dispute that led to the horrific murder.
The Australian High Commissioner in Delhi, Peter Varghese, welcomed thearrests as a breakthrough in the case, but pointed out that this provesthat not all Indians who're being attacked in Australia are victims ofracism, and that the media must be careful in reporting on these cases.
Ranjodh's uncle was more measured in his reaction.
"We don't know who has done this. We have to believe the authorities there. Only they can find out," said Ranjodh's uncle.
Ranjodh's case, coming as it did right in the middle of a spate of attacks against Indians, was thought to be one of racist violence.
For many Indians the Australian dream has turned into a nightmare. The government says treat each case separately, they may all not be racially motivated.
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