Victoria's police association has condemned an Indian cartoonist who depicted members of the force as white supremacists, calling his work "offensive" and "outrageous".
The cartoon appeared days after Indian graduate Nitin Garg was fatally stabbed in a Melbourne park while on his way to work at a Hungry Jack's restaurant.
Published in Delhi's Mail Today, it shows a police officer dressed in a white hood as a member of the Ku Klux Klan, saying: "We are yet to ascertain the nature of the crime".
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The cartoon came in response to homicide investigators in Victoria stating they could not yet say if the murder of 21-year-old Mr Garg was racially motivated.
Greg Davies, secretary of Victoria's Police Association, said the cartoon was "stupid" and unhelpful.
Cartoon 'stirring racial hatred'
"Cartoons in Australia are normally done by people who are either clever or witty and this one's neither," he told reporters in Melbourne on Friday.
"All it does is stir racial hatred amongst Indians, certainly in India and, one would imagine, some of them here."
He said the cartoon was "highly offensive", especially to homicide squad detectives who are working tirelessly to catch Mr Garg's killer and determine a motive for the late-night stabbing.
"To suggest that there's any sort of 'go slow' in an investigation into this tragic murder because of a racial reason is just outrageous," Mr Davies said.
Mr Davies said if he had the chance to speak with the cartoonist, he would tell him the art work should never have been published.
Mr Garg's murder has sparked a renewed debate about the safety of foreign students in Australia.
Victoria 'a tolerant place'
Some local Indian leaders say racism is a significant issue for Indians who study in Australia.
Victorian Police Minister Bob Cameron dismissed the cartoon as an unneeded distraction from a major crime investigation.
"We are a tolerant place and Victorian police are very tolerant and this business about racism is just wrong," he told Fairfax Radio.
"Police go about their business in a normal way.
"They get the evidence, they assess the evidence... to accuse police of having a closed mind when, in fact, what police have said is 'we have an open mind to all possibilities' just demonstrates that this is totally off the table when it comes to common sense."
The Indian government has predicted the attack will affect relations between the two countries, and although it has ruled out sanctions, it has once again pressed Australia to ensure the safety of its citizens.
Victoria Police has declined to comment on the cartoon controversy.
