Memorial service in India for Brisbane bus drive

SBS World News Radio: Memorial service in India for Brisbane bus driver

Memorial service in India for Brisbane bus driveMemorial service in India for Brisbane bus drive

Memorial service in India for Brisbane bus drive

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.

A 48-year-old man remains in custody, charged in relation to the attack.

But family and friends of Manmeet Alisher are calling for an investigation by Indian authorities.

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 errect a permanent memorial for the bus driver and establish a fund to help his family.

 

 






Share

3 min read

Published


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world