Adelaide (Australia): An Indian-origin man is battling for his life in Australia following a violent encounter with police in Adelaide. Forty-two-year-old Gaurav Kundi, a father of two, is currently on life support with suspected brain damage after being tackled to the ground and allegedly kneed in the neck by police officers. A video of the incident has gone viral on the internet.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday in Adelaide's eastern suburbs. Kundi and his partner, Amritpal Kaur, were reportedly involved in a heated argument. A passing police patrol, mistaking the situation for domestic violence, intervened. Despite Kaur’s repeated claims that Kundi was only drunk and loud, not violent, officers proceeded to detain him.
Violent Arrest Caught On Cam
According to a report by Australia Today, the situation escalated quickly. Police claimed that Kundi 'violently resisted' arrest. However, footage of the incident, filmed by Kaur, shows a distressed Kundi shouting, “I’ve done nothing wrong,” while several officers restrained him against a police vehicle. Kaur can be heard pleading with police to release her partner, insisting they were being unfair.
The confrontation intensified when officers tackled Kundi to the ground. One officer allegedly drove a knee into his neck, drawing uncomfortable parallels to the George Floyd case in the U.S. in 2020. “I stopped filming because I panicked when the officer knelt on him,” Kaur said. She also recalled that Kundi’s head was slammed against the police car and the pavement during the scuffle.
Kundi lost consciousness at the scene and was rushed to Royal Adelaide Hospital. Doctors later informed Kaur that he had suffered severe brain injuries and trauma to the nerves in his neck. He remains in a coma, and his partner fears he may never regain consciousness.
South Australia Police Launch Internal Investigation In The Matter
In response to the incident, South Australia Police have launched an internal investigation and are reviewing body-worn camera footage. Acting Assistant Commissioner John DeCandia stated that based on the footage he had seen, the officers appeared to have acted appropriately, though he acknowledged that it only reflected part of the overall incident. “From the body-worn video I viewed, I’m comfortable with the actions of that one police officer, but it is just one piece of evidence,” he noted.
