Australian police detained 18 Indian youths for "breaching peace" here as thousands of students held a massive peace rally against recent attacks on their community, even as a fresh case of assault was reported on an taxi driver from Hyderabad.
Thousands of students, shaken by a wave of racial assaults, including on 25-year-old Shravan Kumar who is battling for life in a local hospital, blocked the busiest street of the city, demanding justice.
The protest, however, was called off early this morning after the protesters accused police of "ramrodding" them to break up their sit-in.
The identities of the 18 detained were not yet known and it was also unclear whether they were still under detention.
Speaking to the Parliament, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd termed the spate of attacks on Indians as 'deplorable' and gave an assurance that his government was working to bring those responsible to justice "as a matter of urgency".
Rudd told the Parliament that he had spoken to his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh about the attacks, that saw hundreds of students take to the streets in Melbourne.
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As the issue echoed in Parliament, a taxi driver from Hyderabad became the latest Indian to be assaulted here.
The victim was bashed up and punched by a passenger, who was in an inebriated state.
The 35-year old driver was assaulted by the drunk passenger after he expressed inability to take him further due to technical problem in his vehicle.
The victim, who went unconscious after the attack yesterday, was taken to the hospital by the police, who also took hold of the attacker, a family member told PTI.
The victim, however, said he did not think it was a racially motivated attack but an "opportunistic crime".
Anita Nair, Indian Consulate General in Melbourne, told PTI that constant discussions were on with the Australian authorities on the safety and security of Indian students.
"I assume everyone has a right to express themselves, but within Australian laws," Nair said, adding investigations will follow will be transparent and fair one in regard to the detained.
Commenting on the issue, trade Minister Simon Crean also said Indian authorities raised concerns about students being targeted more than a year ago. He said their complaints were being taken up seriously.
Australian Police Chief Commissioner Simon Overland also gave assurance that security will be stepped up for Indian students, even as he justified the use of force to break protests by hundreds of demonstrators here.
Overland said Australian police was working hard towards ensuring security for Indian students and a representative was being sent to India to discuss security issues with prospective students.