Small jail terms for thugs leaves Indian Australian community outraged

Melbourne, June 28 (ANI): An Australian magistrate's ruling to set young thugs who beat an Indian man almost to death free after serving only six months has angered the Indian community in the country.

On Wednesday, Magistrate Kay Macpherson said five teenagers acted "like a pack of animals" when they bashed Indian student Sukhraj Singh in December and left him in a coma for three weeks.

But she sentenced four of them to only 12 months' youth detention - meaning they will be eligible for parole within weeks after serving more than six months on remand.

Another youth involved in the attack escaped custody, instead being sentenced to a 12-month youth attendance.

One of the youths, aged 14, had been involved in 12 violent incidents since he had been on remand.

Singh was initially speechless when told of the sentences.

"I don't understand this at all," he said.

Indian community leaders reacted with outrage to the leniency shown by the court.

"What sort of a sentence is this?" said Vasan Srinivasan, president of the Federation of Indian Associations, Victoria.(ANI)