Adelaide: In a shocking incident, an Indian-origin man was killed in an alleged case of police brutality in Adelaide when an Australian police officer allegedly knelt on his neck during an attempted arrest.
Gaurav Kundi, a resident of Modbury North, reportedly suffered a brain injury during the incident. He was hospitalised on May 29 and died on Thursday.
According to a report by 7News Australia, the victim’s wife Amritpal Kaur recorded some of the arrest on her phone.
The couple were reportedly having an argument in public when Kundi, who was drunk, laid down on the ground after pushing Kaur slightly during the argument. A police patrol, which was passing by, intervened, reportedly assuming it to be a domestic violence situation.
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Kundi is heard saying in the video while officers restrained him.
Kaur can be heard saying in the video that the police were acting unfairly. Kaur told the media that she stopped filming after a police officer placed a knee on her husband’s neck.
“Just 19 seconds of video because I got panicked and I just sat on the ground with Gaurav. I kept saying he’s not well, he’s not well, please don’t do this, just call the ambulance,” she told 9News.
An unresponsive Kundi was taken to Royal Adelaide Hospital, where he remained in critical condition until his death.
South Australia Police said Kundi had become violent and tried to resist arrest and confirmed that no taser or firearm was used during the incident, adding that they were currently satisfied with how the officers acted.
An internal investigation is underway while a Commissioner’s Inquiry is also going on. Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said the review would look into the department’s policies, training, and response protocols.
