Oz top cop 'guarantees safety' to Nitin Garg's killers

Melbourne, Jan 7 (ANI): A leading Australian homicide squad detective has said that he will personally guarantee the safety of the person who fatally stabbed Indian student Nitin Garg if he gives himself up, after the police made a fresh appeal for information about the killing.

Detective Inspector Bernie Edwards was appealing to the public for information on the murder, which occurred in a Melbourne park last Saturday night as Garg was going to work at the nearby Yarraville Hungry Jack's restaurant.

An information caravan was set up near the site today. Police hope it will lead them to come up with information.

They are particularly interested in finding a person, wearing a light-coloured top, who jumped into a taxi on Somerville Road, opposite the Hungry Jack's outlet, around 9.50pm.

"A person caught a taxi outside the news agency opposite Hungry Jack's, and we are appealing for them to come forward, or any taxi drivers who collected a fare at around the location," Detective Inspector Edwards told reporters.

"We believe that person is a witness ... and may be able to identify people who were in the park or saw the offence occur."

He appealed to the offender to surrender to police. "If the person who stabbed (Mr Garg) is listening, we are appealing for that person to come forward," The Herald Sun quoted Edwards, as saying.

"Whether he wants to ring me, my people at Homicide or Crime Stoppers, I will ensure that person's safety," he added.

Despite the furore surrounding the case, with pressure from the Indian Government for the murderer to be caught and claims that it was a racist attack, Edwards said Garg's killing remained a senseless act.

"Irrespective of what people have been saying, and all the motives we have heard about, it is purely and simply a murder - tragic, senseless and totally unacceptable in our society," he said.

The Indian-born 21-year-old university graduate was stabbed just 100 metres from his workplace when he was attacked about 9.30pm last Saturday night. (ANI)