Indian student in coma after alleged assault in Australia

An Indian student pursuing a master's degree at the University of Tasmania remains in medically-induced coma following an alleged assault in Australia earlier this month.

Reportedly in his 20s, the student was rushed to the Royal Hobart Hospital in the Tasmanian capital of Hobart soon after the attack, which took place at around 4.20 am local time on 5 November at a precinct in the state of Tasmania, the Sydney-based broadcaster SBS reported. His right lung reportedly collapsed and he had to undergo brain surgery, a procedure lasting several hours.

Shortly after the incident, police took 25-year-old Benjamin Dodge Collings into custody, and charged him with criminal code assault — an offence carrying a maximum sentence of 21 years in prison. Collings was granted a magistrate bail and is scheduled to return to court on 4 December.

Police told SBS Hindi that there is no evidence to suggest that the incident was racially motivated.

"The person charged has been set out on bail whereas the poor man is fighting for his life," Germanjit Singh Gill, a resident, posted on the Facebook group 'Indians in Tasmania'.

"Someone assaulted our brother for no reason, and we can't even ask questions? We are harnessing community support to help the victim," Gill wrote.

The victim's friends said his family back in Assam do not have passports to travel to Australia.

The University of Tasmania's media director Ben Wild said they have been in regular touch with the family and have assigned a manager to the case, along with translators, liaison, accommodation and other support, SBS Hindi reported.

"The case has gone through the court system as well and we are very limited in what we can say," Wild said.