Saurabh Anand, the 33-year-old Altona Meadows man who was left with life-altering injuries after a machete attack at Central Square Shopping Centre, has been granted a two-year visa by the federal government, giving him vital time to recover and remain in Australia. The decision, made under compassionate grounds, came after public calls from his local MP and the wider community.
The alleged attack occurred in July and involved five teenagers, including a 15-year-old boy who was arrested in early August. Anand, a skilled Indian national on a temporary visa, was facing deportation just weeks after the assault. His subclass 485 visa was due to expire on August 25, despite the severity of his injuries which included a near-severed hand, spinal fractures and ongoing mental trauma.
Following an earlier broadcast on the ABC’s 7.30 program that highlighted his plea for help, the government acted through a provision in the Migration Act that allows a visa to be granted on public interest grounds. Anand was briefly placed into administrative detention as part of the required process before being issued the new visa, which also places him on a pathway to permanent residency.
Anand’s case was brought directly to Assistant Minister for Citizenship Julian Hill and his local MP Tim Watts. The ministers met with Anand and his mother at Watts’ electorate office where the new visa was signed and formalised.
The meeting, marked by a quiet but emotional exchange of sweets, symbolised the collective relief felt by a family whose life had been upended in a matter of minutes.
Support for Anand has come from all quarters. A fundraising page set up in the aftermath has collected more than $22,000, while community leaders have continued to visit and express solidarity.
Senator Paul Scarr, who visited the temple in Boronia alongside Victorian Opposition Leader Brad Battin, praised the community’s resilience and emphasised the importance of national unity following hate-motivated incidents.
Although Victoria’s bail laws were recently amended in response to growing public concern, the Opposition has kept pressure on the government to go further. Battin told The Indian Sun in an earlier interview that there should be mandatory jail time for those who breach bail conditions, especially repeat offenders. He warned that community safety was being compromised by people who were “gaming the system”.
As Anand begins the long road to recovery—which doctors estimate could take at least 12 months—he is now able to focus on rehabilitation without the added fear of losing his right to stay in the country. His situation, once defined by uncertainty, now carries the possibility of stability and healing.
He remains under medical care and is taking each day as it comes, with the help of his mother, close friends, and the wider Melbourne community.
The visa intervention has been described by government sources as the right and humane decision—a small but powerful gesture that restores faith in Australia’s ability to stand by those in crisis.
Some details in this story were sourced from reporting by the ABC’s 7.30 program.
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