‘Hand was hanging by a thread’: Indian-origin man survives machete attack in Australia

Melbourne: A 33-year-old Indian-origin man has undergone emergency surgery to reattach his hand after a brutal machete attack by a group of teenagers outside a shopping centre in Melbourne, Australia.

The victim, identified as Saurabh Anand, was ambushed by five teens outside Central Square Shopping Centre in Altona Meadows around 7:30pm on July 19. He was returning from a pharmacy when the attackers surrounded him.

“Within seconds, they had surrounded me,” Anand told The Age from his hospital bed. “All I remember is the pain – my hand was hanging by a thread.”

One teen rifled through his pockets while another punched him repeatedly in the head until he collapsed. A third teen then pulled out a machete, holding it to his throat before slashing at him multiple times.

In the horrifying sequence that followed, Anand was stabbed in the back and shoulder, leaving him with a fractured spine and broken bones in his arm. In a desperate attempt to shield himself, his wrist was almost severed.

Despite the injuries, Anand managed to stumble outside and cry out for help. Passers-by rushed to his aid and called emergency services.

He was taken to a hospital, where doctors initially feared they would have to amputate his left hand. After hours of surgery and metal screws inserted into his wrist, surgeons managed to reattach it — though full recovery remains uncertain.

Police have arrested four teenage boys and are hunting for a fifth suspect. A 14-year-old from Wyndham has been charged with serious assault, robbery and was remanded in custody. Two 15-year-olds were released on bail, while another 14-year-old is expected to be charged on summons.

Anand, shocked that some attackers were granted bail, said:

“I want justice. I don’t want anyone else to go through the trauma I have.”

He remains in hospital under close observation, with his partner keeping vigil by his bedside. He says he’s now too afraid to return home.

The assault comes amid a spike in youth violence and knife crime in Victoria. The state is making over 200 arrests a day and plans to ban machetes from 1 September, in response to rising gang-related violence.

In a separate incident last week, another Indian-origin man, Charanpreet Singh, was allegedly assaulted and racially abused during a parking dispute near Kintore Avenue. Singh, a student, had been out with his wife when the attack occurred.