Indian-origin man on life support in Australia after cops kneel on neck: What happened?

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2 days ago

Gaurav Kundi, a 42-year-old man of Indian origin in Australia, is on life support after police allegedly knelt on his neck during an attempted arrest. Kundi was pinned to the ground as his partner, Amritpal Kaur, repeatedly said he had done nothing wrong. His family claims excessive force was used, leaving him with serious injuries to his brain and neck. The incident draws parallels with the 2020 killing of George Floyd in the US, who died after a police officer knelt on his neck during an arrest read more
The 42-year-old man of Indian origin is currently on life support. Image: X
A 42-year-old man of Indian origin is in hospital in Australia after police officers allegedly knelt on his neck while trying to arrest him.
The incident has drawn comparisons to the 2020 killing of George Floyd , the African-American man who died after being held down by a white police officer pressing his knee on Floyd's neck during an arrest in the US.
Notably, the Indian-origin man, identified as Gaurav Kundi, was pinned to the ground while his partner, Amritpal Kaur, kept insisting he had done nothing wrong.
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So, who is Gaurav Kundi, and why were the police trying to arrest him? How did Amritpal react to the violent arrest? What are the latest updates in the case?
Let's get you the answers to these questions and more.
Who is Gaurav Kundi? What happened?
The 42-year-old man of Indian origin is currently on life support at the Royal Adelaide Hospital following the incident in Adelaide's eastern suburbs.
His family alleges that police used too much force while arresting him, which has left him with serious injuries to his brain and neck.
According to his partner, Amritpal Kaur, the incident took place on Payneham Road. She said a police patrol stopped after mistaking their loud argument for a domestic violence case.
'I've done nothing wrong,' Kundi is heard saying in a video, while Kaur records the scene and insists police are behaving unfairly.
FAFO moment for Gaurav kundi
Drunk abusive menace Indian in Australia suspected assaulting his girlfriend & being a nuisance in public FAFO
NOW DEPORT HIM pic.twitter.com/uh8toAdn7z — JOE 🇦🇺 (@TO_VICTORY_WFP2) June 3, 2025
FAFO moment for Gaurav kundi
Drunk abusive menace Indian in Australia suspected assaulting his girlfriend & being a nuisance in public FAFO
NOW DEPORT HIM pic.twitter.com/uh8toAdn7z — JOE 🇦🇺 (@TO_VICTORY_WFP2) June 3, 2025
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Kundi, who is a father of two, lost consciousness after being taken to the ground.
Kaur claims that an officer drove a knee into his neck, similar to the way George Floyd died during an arrest in the United States in 2020, local media reported.
Video footage published by 9News shows Kundi on the ground while Kaur films and shouts that the officers' actions were 'unfair'.
Kaur said she stopped recording when one of the officers allegedly knelt on Kundi's neck.
'Just 19 seconds video because I got panicked and I just sit on the ground with Gaurav,' she told the outlet.
Another video reportedly shows Kundi lying unresponsive.
'I was keep saying he's not well, he's not well please don't do this, just call the ambulance,' she said.
'Doctors are saying his brain is totally damaged. Maybe he will wake up if brain works, or maybe he will not,' she added.
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Local media has reported that Kundi had been drinking before he left home and started walking along Payneham Road.
Footage shows him lying on the ground as Kaur approaches.
'I just go out and follow him. What are you doing here? Let's get back home. You are drunk. You are not well. We will go home,' she recalled telling him.
'He just pushed me a little bit. You get aside, I can walk.'
Kaur believes that this minor push may have drawn the attention of the police patrol.
'The policeman think he's assaulting me and doing domestic violence on the road but policeman is wrong,' she told 9News.
'He is just drunk and that's why he is loud, nothing else.'
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What police officials said on the case
South Australian Police Commissioner Grant Stevens defended the officers involved in Gaurav Kundi's arrest, telling 9News that bodycam footage showed they followed their training.
According to police, Kundi resisted arrest aggressively after leaving home drunk and arguing with his wife.
🚨 'I've done nothing wrong!' — Gaurav Kundi's plea moments before collapse.
A South Australia Police arrest has left the 42-year-old Indian-origin father-of-two in critical condition with suspected brain damage. Footage shows him being forced to the ground as his partner cries,… pic.twitter.com/oFv0iELax8 — The Australia Today (@TheAusToday) June 2, 2025
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Officers believed it was a case of domestic violence, but Kundi insisted he was only drunk and loud, not violent.
Acting Assistant Commissioner John DeCandia said he was 'comfortable' with the officers' actions based on what the early evidence shows, though an investigation is ongoing.
South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas also backed the police, saying they have a 'really difficult job' and should be supported.
The arrest has sparked fresh debate over police accountability and the use of force during arrests.
No charges have been laid so far, and the investigation continues, while Amritpal Kaur remains by Kundi's side in hospital.
Why the case is being compared to George Floyd's death
Amritpal Kaur said she stopped recording when an officer drove a knee into Gaurav Kundi's neck, drawing comparisons to the 2020 case of George Floyd in the United States.
Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died after white police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes during an arrest, even as Floyd repeatedly said, 'I can't breathe.'
Floyd was handcuffed and repeatedly said he could not breathe. Reuters/File Photo
The incident was recorded by a bystander on a phone camera.
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Floyd's death in Minneapolis led to massive protests across the US and around the world, calling for an end to racism and police brutality.
Chauvin was later convicted of murder and sentenced to 22 years in prison.
Other officers present during the arrest were also found guilty for not stepping in to stop the incident.