Melbourne: Australia on Tuesday said it will
cooperate with the family of Nitin Garg, the Indian youth
killed here, and expedite the process of returning his body
back home, terming the delay in the process as "unfortunate".
Acting Foreign Minister Simon Crean said: "We are going
to try and cooperate with the family as expeditiously if we
can to return the remains, the body, to his home".
While Australian officials have insisted that no race
angle was involved in the incident, Crean said: "I think we
have to await the full details of the police investigation".
Asked why it took two days, following Garg`s murder, for
government officials to contact Garg`s family in India Crean
said: "I think it`s unfortunate if it did take that length of
time".
He said the government had been in regular contact with
Indian officials over the past 12 months on the issue of
safety of Indian students in Australia.
Since Garg`s death, Australian High Commissioner in Delhi
had also been in touch with the family, he said.
"I understand there`ve been meetings the high
commissioner has sought here with the Department of Foreign
Affairs officials. We will do whatever we can to try and
address this problem," Crean said.
External Affairs Minister SM Krishna "reminded" Australia
yesterday of the economic fallout of such attacks, even as he
said that issuing an advisory to Indians in the aftermath of
the youth`s murder would be the "last resort".
PTI
