Family of Indian toddler killed in Australia mourn their loss

Faridkot, Mar 5 (ANI): A pall of gloom enveloped the household of the three-year-old toddler Gurshan Singh Channa whose body was found in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday.

Back home in India, the family members mourned the loss as they remembered the toddler. The family was informed through a phone call.

"Two months ago they went to Australia and somebody called to say that my grandson has been killed," said Gurmeet Kaur, grandmother of Gurshan Singh Channa.

The toddler's body was found by a council worker in grassland by the side of a road near the Melbourne Airport after the child was reported missing from his home around 1.00 p.m. (0200GMT) on Thursday.

According to Australian media, it was believed that the boy was following his father to a nearby library. He walked out the front door of the house and then disappeared.

Police started a search for the boy which was called off around 6.00 p.m. (0700GMT) when his body was found.

The toddler's family, holidaying in Melbourne, is extremely distraught.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said that he was confident that the police would get to the bottom of the matter.

Australian media reported that the family was finding life difficult in Australia and had planned to go back to India next week.

Gurshan's death comes on the heels of Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith's India visit aimed at improving ties between the two nations strained because of a series of alleged race attacks against Indian students studying down under. (ANI)