India-origin man in Australia put on life support after cop pinned him to ground

The video footage of the incident obtained by 9news.com portal shows Kundi being forced onto Payneham Road while he and his wife, Amritpal Kaur, loudly protest his innocence.

Melbourne: A 42-year-old Indian-origin man is on life support with suspected brain damage in Australia after a police officer allegedly knelt on his neck during an arrest, mistaking him for being involved in domestic violence.

The incident occurred last week on Payneham Road at Royston Park in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs.

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Gaurav Kundi, father of two children, is on life support with suspected brain damage after the arrest, the australiatoday.com news portal reported on Monday.

The video footage of the incident obtained by 9news.com portal shows Kundi being forced onto Payneham Road while he and his wife, Amritpal Kaur, loudly protest his innocence.

“I’ve done nothing wrong,” Kundi shouts, while Kaur films and cries out that the police are acting unfairly.

Kundi loses consciousness after being tackled to the ground. He is currently at the Royal Adelaide Hospital on life support.

Kaur said an officer allegedly drove a knee into Kundi’s neck — a move that echoes the 2020 case of George Floyd, a Black man, in the US that sparked widespread protests against police brutality and racial injustice, both in America and internationally.

“I stopped filming because I panicked when the officer knelt on him,” Kaur told 9News. She said Kundi’s head was slammed against the police car and the road during the arrest.

Kundi was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, where doctors say his brain and neck nerves are severely damaged.

Kaur said, “Maybe he will wake up if his brain works, or maybe he will not.” Police say Kundi violently resisted arrest after leaving his home intoxicated. The couple had allegedly been arguing, and a passing patrol reportedly mistook the incident for domestic violence.

However, Kaur said his husband was simply drunk and loud, not violent.

Meanwhile, South Australian Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said he believes the officers acted in line with their training, the 9news reported.

Police have launched an internal investigation and are reviewing body-worn camera footage.

“I can say that from that evidence I’ve looked at, from that body-worn video, but it is only one portion, I’m comfortable, but that is only one police officer,” Acting Assistant Commissioner John DeCandia was quoted as saying by australiatoday.com.

Premier of South Australia, Peter Malinauskas, also voiced strong support for police, saying they have a “really difficult job” and deserved backing, the news portal said.