Indian-origin man dies two weeks after Australian police kneel on his neck during arrest attempt
New Delhi: A 42-year-old Indian-origin man has died two weeks after a controversial encounter with Australian police in which an officer allegedly knelt on his neck during an attempted arrest in Adelaide. The incident, which drew comparisons to the 2020 death of George Floyd in the United States, has triggered a high-level inquiry in South Australia.
The deceased, Gaurav Kundi, a resident of Modbury North, passed away on Thursday, June 12, reportedly due to an "unrecoverable brain injury," according to 7News Australia.
The incident occurred around 2:45 a.m. on May 29 on Payneham Road in Royston Park, where South Australia Police responded to what they described as a suspected domestic dispute between a man and a woman. However, video footage of the incident shows Kundi being forcibly restrained by officers as he and his wife, Amritpal Kaur, protested. “I’ve done nothing wrong,” Kundi can be heard shouting in the video, while Kaur, who filmed the encounter, accused the police of acting unfairly.
Kaur later stated that her husband had been intoxicated and loud, but was not violent. Police claimed Kundi resisted arrest and was under the influence of alcohol. They further asserted that no firearms or tasers were used during the incident.
Kundi became unresponsive during the arrest and was rushed to a hospital, where he remained in critical condition for two weeks before succumbing to his injuries.
In response to public concern, South Australia Police Commissioner Grant Stevens confirmed that an internal investigation was underway alongside a major crime investigation. He told ABC Radio Adelaide that a commissioner’s inquiry would also be conducted independently.
The incident has revived global concerns about the use of excessive force by police, particularly in light of the similarities to George Floyd's death in the United States. Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died in May 2020 after a white police officer knelt on his neck during an arrest in Minneapolis, sparking worldwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism.
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Karnataka Cabinet ratifies decisions on internal reservation for SCs
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka Cabinet has ratified its earlier decisions on internal reservation for Scheduled Castes and approved key modifications to streamline recruitment, including withdrawal and reissue of notifications and adoption of a 400-point roster system.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil on Thursday said the Cabinet reaffirmed its commitment to implementing internal reservation within the 15 per cent SC quota and expediting long-pending recruitment across departments.
"The Cabinet ratified decisions taken in earlier meetings (April 16 and April 24) and made modifications regarding reservation policies," Patil said.
He said the government will implement internal reservation within the 15 per cent quota for Scheduled Castes in specified proportions and revise recruitment notifications accordingly, with a 400-point roster to be followed.
If fewer than three roster points for SC arise in recruitment, then all 101 Scheduled Caste communities will be allowed to compete under SC general, he said.
Patil added that recruitment notifications issued without incorporating internal reservation will be withdrawn and reissued in line with the revised policy.
"If the Supreme Court approves 24 per cent reservation for SC/ST, six per cent backlog posts will be filled," he said, noting that urgent steps will be taken to fill 56,432 approved posts.
The latest decision follows the Cabinet's April 24 resolution that cleared a revised internal reservation formula within the overall 15 per cent SC quota, paving the way for long-pending government recruitment. The government had approved 5.25 per cent reservation each for the "right-hand" and "left-hand" groups, and about 4.5 per cent for other Scheduled Castes, including nomadic communities.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had then said the categorisation was worked out proportionately within the constitutional ceiling. "From tomorrow onwards, the recruitment process will begin with the issuance of notifications," he had said after the April 24 Cabinet meeting.
He also noted that the SC quota was fixed at 15 per cent and ST at three per cent in line with the 50 per cent cap laid down in the Indra Sawhney case, while pointing out that the Supreme Court had permitted internal reservation within constitutional limits.
