Indian man suffers head injuries after being viciously beaten by gang in early morning attack
Laxman Das told
The Journal
that a group of three men, who appeared to be in their mid-twenties or thirties, covered his mouth to prevent him from screaming for help as they punched him.
His attackers, he said, 'took everything' – including his phone, money, passport, credit cards and e-bike.
The 51-year-old, who works as a chef at the Marker Hotel in the Docklands area of the southside, said the men punched him so aggressively that his bike helmet broke and he required a brain scan.
His head is still 'very sore' from the attack and he has injuries all over his body, he said.
There has been
a string of recent attacks
against members of the Indian community in Ireland in recent weeks.
The Indian embassy in Ireland recently issued a warning about the increased attacks, warning its citizens to avoid 'deserted areas, especially in odd hours'.
The Irish Ambassador to India has called the
attacks on the Indian community 'appalling'
and 'deeply at odds' with the values of Irish people.
The Irish embassy in India said it is in regular contact with Ireland's Indian embassy, and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs is in ongoing contact with An Garda Síochána regarding investigations.
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In a statement, it said a meeting is due to take place between Simon Harris TD and representatives of the Indian community in Ireland on the issue on Monday.
The attack happened at around 4.30am on Wednesday. Laxman said he was brought by ambulance to St Vincent's Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries and discharged at 9pm that night.
He said he has cycled to work in Dublin for the past 20 years and has never experienced an issue until this attack. He added that he has noticed increased hostility towards the Indian community in Ireland in recent months.
The father-of-two is now staying with his friend, Sudeep Sanyal, in the wake of the attack as his family is in India for summer holidays, and his injuries must be monitored.
Sudeep, who has also been living in Ireland for 21 years and is a director of Vedic Hindu Cultural Centre Ireland, said that his friend would have died from the attack if he had not been wearing his helmet.
He said hostility against Indian nationals in Ireland has been 'going on for many years', but has never been as bad as it is now:
Someday someone will die on the road [from an attack], I pray to god something like that should not happen.
Sudeep said his nine-year-old son is now afraid to go outside and play, as he fears he will be attacked.
'Kids should not feel this way,' he said.
His family, who live in West Bengal, fear for his safety as they have heard about attacks on Indian people in Ireland through Indian media.
He said: 'Everyone is very worried, it's very scary for them. Many parents are telling their kids who work here to come back home.'
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