A memorial has been held in the Indian state of Punjab to honour the Brisbane bus driver who died after being set alight on the job late last month. SBS Punjabi’s Preetinder Singh Grewal reports...
Hundreds of mourners have attended a service in Lehragaga, in the Indian state of Punjab, to offer tributes, flowers and prayers for slain Brisbane bus driver Manmeet Alisher.
Among the mourners were friends, family and politicians.
One friend of the family, Winnerjit Singh Goldy, has issued a call for justice.
"We want a thorough investigation by both the Indian and Punjab governments as he was a son of Punjab. We want the government to maintain pressure for a thorough investigation."
The gruesome death of the 29-year-old has shocked the Punjabi-Australian community.
Mr Alisher had given up driving a taxi due to safety concerns, taking a job instead as a bus driver in Brisbane's southern suburbs.
He had been waiting at a stop, picking up passengers, when he was set on fire by a flammable device thrown at him.
A 48-year-old man, Anthony Mark Edward O'Donohue, has been charged with Mr Alisher's murder, arson and 11 counts of attempted murder relating to his passengers.
After his initial court appearance, the legal team for Mr O'Donohue flagged mental-health issues.
Winnerjit Singh Goldy says he is concerned.
"Changes are being made to designate the attacker as 'mentally sick' or something else. We want to tell the government that a person who knows chemical composition of substances, and who can do such a thing, cannot be mentally sick."
Police say they do not believe the attack was racially motivated, but that has not quelled the anger in India.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Malcolm Turnbull in the aftermath of the attack.
But a state minister in Punjab, Bikram Singh Majithia, says he is grateful for the support provided by Australia.
"Such a shocking tragedy has happened in Manmeet's case. The support which the Australian government has given, I believe it's an initiative of human rights."
The remains of Manmeet Alisher were collected by his brother a fortnight ago and taken to India for burial.
The Brisbane city council has promised to erect a permanent memorial for the bus driver and establish a fund to help his family.
