Melbourne, April 20 : An Australian teenager pleaded guilty Wednesday to fatally stabbing an Indian student in Melbourne. He faces a sentence of up to life in prison for the attack that sparked widespread outrage across India.
The 16-year-old, whose identity was suppressed by the court because he is a minor, pleaded guilty in Victorian Supreme Court to the murder and attempted armed robbery of 21-year-old Nitin Garg, who was killed last year while walking through a park in Melbourne, Australia's second largest city.
The killing was one of several attacks in late 2009 and early 2010 against Indian students in Melbourne. The spate of violence received widespread publicity in India, with some news outlets there claiming the attacks were racially motivated.
At the time, Australian police said some of the attacks were racially motivated, but many were ordinary crimes. Police said Garg's race was not a factor in his slaying.
The teen will return to court in June for a pre-sentence hearing. AP
