'Oz court decision to set free Indian student Kharbanda's attackers disgraceful'

Melbourne, July 1(ANI): The Melbourne court's decision to set free the youths, who attacked Indian student Kanan Kharbanda and left him blinded in one eye, has been termed as a "disgraceful" verdict.

Kharbanda, an accounting student, had been walking a friend to a railway station in Melbourne in 2008 when he was attacked. He suffered a fractured eye socket, broken nose, and lost the sight in his right eye.

Crime Victims Support Association President Noel McNamara said that it was beyond belief that the youths had been let off "scot free".

"It's disgraceful. The Indian community has the right - all citizens have the right - to be up in arms about it," News.com.au quoted McNamara, as saying.

Majang Ngor, the last of the gang to face court, was earlier given an eight-month suspended jail term for the unprovoked attack. Prosecutors had wanted him jailed for four years.

At least three other youths were given nine-month youth supervision orders in the Children's Court.

Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions is appealing against those sentences. (ANI)