Melbourne: Homicide Squad detectives made a second arrest in Melbourne on Friday in connection with the murder of Indian student Nitin Garg.
The breakthrough in the high-profile case , which threatened to derail India-Australia ties, came yesterday with the police arresting a 16-year-old teenage suspect from Yarraville. The arrest sent shock waves back home despite the police claiming that there was no racial motive in the killing.
"In our inquiries at this stage we don't believe (Garg's death) was racially motivated," Detective Inspector handling the case, Bernie Edwards said.
The teenager who cannot be named was produced before a Children's Court after his arrest in a Melbourne suburb. His parents were also present in the court and the mother was seen weeping as the teenager was remanded to custody after a brief appearance.
21-year-old Garg, an accountancy student from Punjab, was stabbed to death in a local park at Footscray West on January 2 as he walked to work at a fast food restaurant. The incident was one in a series of violent attacks against Indians in Australia.
The crime which came in for strong condemnation both in New Delhi and Canberra, with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna describing it as a 'heinous crime on humanity' and 'an uncivilized brutal attack on innocent Indians'.
(With PTI Inputs)