A 33-year-old Indian-origin man is recovering in intensive care after a violent machete attack by a group of teenagers outside a shopping centre in Melbourne.The doctors have said his long‑term recovery remains uncertain.
Saurabh Anand was ambushed by five boys outside Central Square Shopping Centre in Altona Meadows at around 7.30 pm after collecting medicine from a pharmacy. According to The Australia Today, Anand was on a call with a friend when he sensed movement behind him but "did not hear a sound" before being struck.
One of the teenagers reportedly rifled through his pockets while another punched him repeatedly until he fell. A third youth allegedly held a machete to Anand’s throat. In an attempt to shield himself, Anand raised his arm—resulting in a deep gash that severed his wrist, hand, and bone.
“All I remember is the pain and my hand was… hanging by a thread,” Anand said from his hospital bed.
In addition to the near-severed hand, Anand sustained stab wounds to his back and shoulder, a fractured spine, head trauma, and multiple broken bones in his arm.
Bystanders alerted emergency services upon hearing his cries. Anand was rushed to Royal Melbourne Hospital where surgeons considered amputation. After hours of complex surgery involving screws to stabilise his wrist and hand, his left hand was reattached.
Anand remains in intensive care and said doctors have cautioned that the long-term outcome is uncertain. “I cannot move my hand… All I feel in it is pain,” he said.
Victoria Police have arrested four of the five teenagers involved. A 14-year-old from Wyndham has been charged with intentionally causing serious injury, robbery, and unlawful assault. Two 15-year-olds and another 14-year-old from Hobsons Bay face separate charges and are due to appear in court in August.
Anand expressed concern that two of the accused were granted bail. He said he is “seeking justice” and hopes his case will serve as a catalyst for change.
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