'Head slammed on road by cops': Indian-origin man suffers brain injury, fights for life after police brutality in Australia

An Indian-origin man in Australia suffered a brain injury and is fighting for life after he was allegedly knelt on his neck during an attempted arrest by Australian police in Adelaide. The incident is reminiscent of the murder of George Floyd in the US's Minneapolis in 2020. The Indian-origin man has been identified as Gaurav Kundi.

The video of the incident has gone viral on social media. It shows the man being forced onto a road in Adelaide's eastern suburbs as he declares that he has done nothing wrong. His partner identified as, Amritpal Kaur, is seen recording the video while crying and urging the police not to act in that manner. Kaur has alleged that Kundi's head collided with the police vehicle. He reportedly lost consciousness after he was tackled to the ground.

The man in the video can be heard saying, "I have done nothing wrong." Kaur could be heard screaming, "Yeah, he hasn't done anything, what the hell. Oh my God! They are doing unfair!".

As per a report by Australia Today, the police in Adelaide saw the couple arguing in public and mistook the incident as a case of domestic violence. "I stopped filming because I panicked when the officer knelt on him," Kaur told 9News. "The policeman thought he was assaulting me and doing domestic violence on the road but the policeman is wrong...He was just drunk and that's why he is loud, nothing else."

Kundi is currently im Royal Adelaide Hospital, where doctors have said his brain and neck nerves are severely damaged. Australia Today quoted Kaur saying, “Maybe he will wake up if his brain works, or maybe he will not.”

Meanwhile, South Australia Police have reportedly launched an internal investigation into the matter and are reviewing body-cam footage. Police Commissioner Grant Stevens backed the officers on duty and said that they acted in line. Stevens has advised that when people die in custody, Commissioner's Inquiries are automatically launched. Given the severity of Kundi's injuries, Stevens has elected to begin the investigation "now, rather than wait".