Victorian Premier John Brumby has slammed Indian media and officials for unbalanced reporting, citing the case of an Indian man in Melbourne who police say pretended he was set on fire by a gang.
Jaspreet Singh, 29, of Grice Crescent, Essendon, in the city's north, claimed he was set alight by unknown assailants near his home last month.
But police allege he accidentally burned himself while torching his car for an insurance claim.
Singh faced an out-of-sessions hearing before a bail justice at St Kilda Road police complex on Tuesday charged with making a false report to police and criminal damage with a view to gaining a financial advantage.
The case made international headlines, linked to a series of attacks by white Australians on Indian nationals in Melbourne.
Premier John Brumby said to date the Indian media's reports of such incidents have been unbalanced.
Mr Brumby referred to the murder of Indian Ranjodh Singh, whose body was found on the side of a road in southern NSW in late December.
"I think the point needs to be made that the people who have been charged with that murder are both Indians," he said.
"And we've had this (Jaspreet Singh) case, which attracted a lot of attention in India, and police have charged an individual with setting fire to himself.
"So I hope that there is some balance to the debate, some balance to the reporting in India and certainly to date that balance hasn't been there."
Jaspreet Singh, who is in Australia accompanying his wife on her student visa, told police he was doused with petrol and set alight as he parked his car near his home early on Saturday, January 8.
He was taken to The Alfred hospital with burns to 15 per cent of his body, affecting his face, arms and hands.
Detective Senior Constable Danielle O'Keefe of the arson and explosives squad told the court on Tuesday Singh suffered the burns while trying to torch his 2003 Ford Futura.
"Police inquiries have led us to believe that Mr Singh is in some financial difficulty and that he intended to sell his car but instead stood to gain $11,000 from an insurance claim out of this particular incident," she told the hearing.
Jaspreet Singh was bailed to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on March 15.
Married Indian couple Gurpreet Singh, 23, and wife Harpreet Bhullar, 20, as well as another man, Harpreet Singh, have been charged with Ranjodh Singh's murder.
The couple appeared via video link in Wagga Local Court on Wednesday and were remanded to appear in Griffith Local Court via video link on May 5.
Harpreet Singh was also scheduled to appear in Griffith Local Court on Wednesday.
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