Two Haryana brothers arrested for Indian student’s death in Australia

New Delhi: The tragic stabbing death of 22-year-old Navjeet Sandhu, an MTech student from India, in the Melbourne suburb of Ormond has led to the arrest of two brothers from Haryana, Abhijeet and Robin Gartan. The arrest took place in New South Wales’s Goulburn on Tuesday, just two days after the fatal incident.

“Brothers Abhijeet and Robin Gartan were arrested in Goulburn with the assistance of NSW Police,” confirmed the Victoria Police in an official statement.

Both the victim, Navjeet Sandhu, and the accused, Abhijeet and Robin Gartan, hailed from Haryana’s Karnal.

According to accounts from the victim’s uncle, Sandhu tragically lost his life while attempting to mediate a confrontation between a group of Indian students over a rent-related dispute. Sandhu’s uncle, Yashvir, explained that Navjeet was fatally stabbed in the chest with a knife during the altercation. Additionally, Navjeet’s 30-year-old friend sustained injuries in the incident.

“Navjeet’s friend (another Indian student) had asked him to accompany him to his house to pick up his belongings as he had a car. While his friend went inside, Navjeet heard some shouting and saw there was a fight. When Navjeet tried to intervene asking them not to fight, he was fatally stabbed in the chest with a knife,” said Yashvir.

Described as a brilliant student, Navjeet was planning to reunite with his family in July for vacations, according to his uncle. Navjeet had moved to Australia on a study visa one-and-a-half years ago, with his father selling a portion of their land to finance his education.

Prior to their arrest, Victoria Police had released details and images of the two brothers sought in connection with the stabbing incident. Abhijeet, aged 26, was described as approximately 170cm tall with a solid build and black hair. Similarly, Gartan, aged 27, shared similar physical attributes, standing at around 170cm tall with a solid build and black hair.