Latest news with #SaurabhAnand
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Shopping centre machete attack victim relives the harrowing moment his arm was allegedly almost HACKED off in unprovoked eshay ambush: 'Don't know how I'll survive'
A man who allegedly had his arm almost chopped off in a machete attack has spoken of his fight for life when a gang of eshays allegedly targeted him in a busy shopping mall. Saurabh Anand, 33, was allegedly set upon by five teenagers in the unprovoked attack in Altona Meadows, in Melbourne 's west ten days ago. As well as almost losing his hand and arm, Mr Anand was allegedly slashed and stabbed in the shoulder and back, and suffered a fractured spine, broken bones in his arm, and head injuries. Doctors initially thought they would have to amputate his left hand, but surgeons were able to reattach it by inserting screws into his wrist and hand during five hours of emergency surgery. 'I am completely broken, mentally, physically and emotionally,' he said on Monday. 'I don't know how I'll survive. I am in constant pain. It is the toughest time in my life - I wouldn't have wished this on my worst enemy.' Mr Anand was at Central Square Shopping Centre to pick up medication and was talking on the phone when the gang of youths allegedly pounced around 7.30pm. He said he had spotted five teenagers sitting on a bench near a cafe outside the shopping centre, but was quickly surrounded as he came out of the pharmacy. One teenager allegedly demanded his phone before another allegedly punched him repeatedly in the head until he fell, breaking his back as he hit the ground The gang then allegedly began punching and kicking him as he lay on the ground before a third teen then allegedly pulled out a machete and held it to his throat. 'He [allegedly] went for my neck, my throat,' he told The Australia Today Facebook page on Monday following his release from hospital after eight days. 'To save myself, I raised my hand up to protect my throat and my arm [allegedly] got completely sliced off - the machete cut all of the muscle, the tendons, the nerves. 'But if the machete had gone through my neck I would not be here today.' Mr Anand said he feared he would die in the alleged attack. He said the first cut allegedly sliced through his hand near his thumb before another almost hacked off his hand at the wrist. 'It wasn't just once, they [allegedly] did it repeatedly,' he said. 'They [allegedly] tried to kill me three or four times. 'My hand was literally hanging off. There was so much blood and so much pain. And he [allegedly] did not stop. He [allegedly] cut through both the bones in my arm. 'The bones were sticking out of my skin.' He said that as he lay on the ground in a pool of his own blood, his attackers then stood on his back and allegedly struck him again on his shoulders. 'I was just trying to survive,' he said. 'I was just tumbling around, half-concussed, half-conscious.' He said he lay there for around half an hour before emergency services arrived to help him. 'For 30 minutes, I kept rolling there, stumbling, trying to save myself, holding my hand and falling down,' he said. 'It was very scary.' He said he begged for help from bystanders but was ignored until one good samaritan finally stepped in to call police before he was rushed to hospital. Several teenagers have now been arrested in connection with the incident. A 14-year-old appeared at a Children's Court this week charged with a spate of offences including intentionally causing serious injury, recklessly causing injury, robbery and unlawful assault. He was remanded in custody until August 15. Two 15-year-olds were also charged with intentionally causing serious injury, robbery and unlawful assault. Police said the two were bailed and will face a Children's Court on August 11. Mr Anand says doctors still don't know how much movement he will have in his hand and arm once his wounds heal. 'There is no certainty about that at all,' he said. He says he now faces financial ruin as he tries to recover, with no income and no support despite having lived in Australia for seven years. 'I have invested in this country, paid my taxes, paid my bills - supported this country in every way, economically or supported the community,' he added. 'But today I am in such a situation as to have nothing to show that anyone or the government will help me. 'I need support and I hope the government will help me. Someone needs to hear the victims. 'It is very easy to defend [alleged] offenders, saying that someone is underage, someone has mental health issues. 'But what about my mental health right now? Who will take care of me at my home? 'I would really like to urge the government of Victoria and the government of Australia to please provide me with physical health support, a physical carer or a mental health support worker. 'I'm really scared to get out of my home. I have nowhere to go. I am completely injured, distorted, disoriented in my head and a completely broken man.' A GoFundMe fundraiser set up to help pay Mr Anand's medical bills has already raised more than $11,000 of a $26,000 target. The fundraiser contains images of Mr Anand in his hospital bed, with his arm in a sling. His friend Kanika, who organised the fundraiser, called on the community to rally behind Mr Anand. 'He's still struggling to come to terms with what a bad ordeal he had to go through,' she said in the appeal. 'In this time, I would urge the community to bring in generous support for him as this would help him to support his medical expenses, while covering for the loss of income from work and recover from his physical injuries and mental distress through rehabilitation. 'Your contribution would help him to recover better without him having to worry about his next dollar as the journey is going to be long to bring it back to normal considering the expenses required for ongoing therapy, counselling , medication and rental expenses are not easy.'
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Indian-origin man attacked with machete in Australia; hand reattached after near amputation
Australia police. - File photo: IANS MELBOURNE: An Indian-origin man, Saurabh Anand, was left severely injured after being brutally attacked with a machete by a group of teenagers in Australia's Melbourne, local media reported. The incident occurred around 7.30pm on July 19 while the 33-year-old was walking home from a pharmacy at the Central Square Shopping Centre in Altona Meadows. The horrifying assault left him with multiple injuries, including a nearly severed hand, which was later reattached during surgery. According to The Australian Today, Anand was speaking to a friend on the phone when five teenagers suddenly surrounded him. One of the assailants rummaged through his pockets, while another repeatedly punched him in the head, knocking him to the ground. A third attacker pulled out a machete and reportedly held it to his throat. 'While I was trying to protect myself, the machete just went through my wrist. The second attack went through my hand. The third went through the bone,' Saurabh recounted to The Age. He also suffered stab wounds to his shoulder and back, resulting in a fractured spine and several broken bones. 'All I remember is the pain, and my hand was hanging by a thread,' he added. Despite the severe injuries, Saurabh managed to walk out of the area and call for help. He was quickly taken to a hospital, where doctors initially considered amputation. However, after a complex medical procedure, they were able to reattach his hand. Australian media reported that four out of the five teenage attackers have been arrested in connection with the assault. Police investigations are ongoing. This brutal incident comes close on the heels of another disturbing case in Australia involving an Indian student. Charanpreet Singh was allegedly racially abused and assaulted by a group of unidentified men following a car parking dispute near Kintore Avenue. The incident occurred last week when Singh and his wife were out to view the city's light displays. - The Statesman/ANN
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Indian-origin man brutally attacked with machete in Australia
A 33-year-old Indian-origin man was brutally attacked with a machete by a group of teenagers in Australia, leaving him with multiple injuries, including a nearly severed hand. Saurabh Anand was approached by the teenage boys from behind when he was walking home on July 19 after picking up medicines at a pharmacy at Central Square Shopping Centre in Altona Meadows, Melbourne, according to media reports and police. They shoved him to the ground before viciously attacking him, The Age newspaper reported. One of the teenagers had his hands in Mr. Anand's pockets, rummaging for valuables. He said another boy punched him in the head repeatedly until he fell to the ground. A third teen pulled out a machete and held it to his throat, 'They didn't stop there,' the newspaper quoted Mr. Anand as saying from his hospital bed, days after enduring several surgeries to reattach his severed left hand. 'My instinctive reaction was to bring my arm up to protect my face and wrist. While I was trying to protect myself, the machete just went through my wrist. The second attack, the machete went through my hand ... the third went through my bone.' Anand alleged he was then slashed and stabbed with the machete on his shoulder and back. 'I was just trying to survive,' he said. 'All I remember is the pain, and my hand was … hanging by a thread. There were bone ruptures on my arm as well.' 'I was just tumbling around, half-concussed, half-conscious.' Mr. Anand was rushed to the hospital after he cried out for help to strangers passing by. They found him bloodied outside the shopping centre and called triple zero, the paper reported. The teenagers fled with his phone. Mr. Anand said doctors initially thought they would have to amputate his left hand. But surgeons were able to reattach it following hours of gruelling emergency surgery, which included inserting screws into his wrist and hand. He also suffered head injuries, broken bones in his left arm and a fracture in his spine. The attack occurred on the same day an Indian student sustained injuries in an alleged racist attack in Australia's Adelaide. Several teenagers have been arrested over Anand's attack. A 14-year-old appeared at a Children's Court this week, charged with a spate of offences including intentionally causing serious injury, recklessly causing injury, robbery and unlawful assault. He was remanded in custody until August 15. Two 15-year-olds were also charged with intentionally causing serious injury, robbery and unlawful assault. Police said the two were bailed and will face the Children's Court on August 11. A 14-year-old boy from the Hobsons Bay area was also arrested and is expected to be charged on summons. Mr. Anand says he was distressed after learning the two 15-year-olds were still out in the community after the attack. 'I'm seeking justice,' Anand said. 'I don't want anyone else in the community to be going through the same trauma I have. Mr. Anand is one of the latest victims of a surge in knife violence across Melbourne. A 17-year-old boy was stabbed about 30 kilometres away at Broadmeadows Central Shopping Centre in the city's north about 6.30 pm the following evening. Victoria is grappling with its highest youth crime rate since electronic records began, prompting the state government to pass new laws in March, toughening bail laws. Premier Jacinta Allan vowed the reforms would create the 'toughest bail test in the country' for repeat offenders.
News18
2 days ago
- News18
Indian-origin man brutally attacked with machete in Australia
Agency: PTI Melbourne, Jul 27 (PTI) A 33-year-old Indian-origin man was brutally attacked with a machete by a group of teenagers in Australia, leaving him with multiple injuries, including a nearly severed hand. Saurabh Anand was approached by the teenage boys from behind when he was walking home on July 19 after picking up medicines at a pharmacy at Central Square Shopping Centre in Altona Meadows, Melbourne, according to media reports and police. They shoved him to the ground before viciously attacking him, The Age newspaper reported. One of the teenagers had his hands in Anand's pockets, rummaging for valuables. He said another boy punched him in the head repeatedly until he fell to the ground. A third teen pulled out a machete and held it to his throat, 'They didn't stop there," the newspaper quoted Anand as saying from his hospital bed, days after enduring several surgeries to reattach his severed left hand. 'My instinctive reaction was to bring my arm up to protect my face and wrist. While I was trying to protect myself, the machete just went through my wrist. The second attack, the machete went through my hand … the third went through my bone." Anand alleged he was then slashed and stabbed with the machete on his shoulder and back. 'I was just trying to survive," he said. 'All I remember is the pain, and my hand was … hanging by a thread. There were bone ruptures on my arm as well." 'I was just tumbling around, half-concussed, half-conscious." Anand was rushed to the hospital after he cried out for help to strangers passing by. They found him bloodied outside the shopping centre and called triple zero, the paper reported. The teenagers fled with his phone. Anand said doctors initially thought they would have to amputate his left hand. But surgeons were able to reattach it following hours of gruelling emergency surgery, which included inserting screws into his wrist and hand. He also suffered head injuries, broken bones in his left arm and a fracture in his spine. The attack occurred on the same day an Indian student sustained injuries in an alleged racist attack in Australia's Adelaide. Several teenagers have been arrested over Anand's attack. A 14-year-old appeared at a Children's Court this week, charged with a spate of offences including intentionally causing serious injury, recklessly causing injury, robbery and unlawful assault. He was remanded in custody until August 15. Two 15-year-olds were also charged with intentionally causing serious injury, robbery and unlawful assault. Police said the two were bailed and will face the Children's Court on August 11. A 14-year-old boy from the Hobsons Bay area was also arrested and is expected to be charged on summons. Anand says he was distressed after learning the two 15-year-olds were still out in the community after the attack. 'I'm seeking justice," Anand said. 'I don't want anyone else in the community to be going through the same trauma I have. Anand is one of the latest victims of a surge in knife violence across Melbourne. A 17-year-old boy was stabbed about 30 kilometres away at Broadmeadows Central Shopping Centre in the city's north about 6.30 pm the following evening. Victoria is grappling with its highest youth crime rate since electronic records began, prompting the state government to pass new laws in March, toughening bail laws. Premier Jacinta Allan vowed the reforms would create the 'toughest bail test in the country" for repeat offenders. PTI NSA NSA view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
‘Hand was hanging by a thread': Indian-origin man attacked with machete in Melbourne
An Indian-origin man was brutally attacked by a group of teenagers in Australia's Melbourne recently while he was on his way home from a pharmacy. The victim, identified as Saurabh Anand, was ambushed by teenagers after he had picked up medicine from the store in Central Square Shopping Centre in Altona Meadows at around 7.30 pm on July 19. The 33-year-old sustained severe injuries, with his hand being nearly severed, according to local media outlet The Australia Today. According to the reports, Anand was on a call with his friend when the teenagers surrounded him. One of the attackers checked his pockets, while another punched him in his head repeatedly till he fell to the ground. The third pulled out a machete and held it to his throat. 'Within seconds, they had surrounded me,' Anand told The Age. 'My instinctive reaction was to bring my arm up to protect my face and wrist. While I was trying to protect myself, the machete just went through my wrist. The second attack went through my hand. The third went through the bone.' Anand said that the attacker stabbed him in the shoulder and back, breaking bones in his arms and causing him a fractured spine. 'All I remember is the pain, and my hand was hanging by a thread,' he said. Anand rushed out of the area and 'yelled' for help. 'I saw someone and I just yelled out, 'I've been attacked. Please help me',' he added. He was then rushed to the hospital, where the doctors initially believed that they would have to amputate his left hand; however, they were able to reattach it. Police said that out of the five teenage boys involved in the violent attack, four have been arrested.
