HT Digital,
Sydney, May 17: An Indian-origin student in Australia, Devarshi Deka, is in a medically induced coma following an assault for which a 25-year-old suspect, Benjamin Dodge Collings, has been arrested and charged with criminal assault.
The incident occurred on November 5 in Tasmania, around 4:20 am local time, when Deka, a master’s student at the University of Tasmania, was attacked. Following the assault, Deka was taken to Royal Hobart Hospital, where he underwent extensive brain surgery due to ‘extradural bleeding’ that caused a shift in his brain and a collapsed right lung.
Deka, who arrived in Australia last year to pursue a Master of Professional Accounting, had been celebrating securing a part-time job when the assault took place. Instead of starting his new job, he found himself in a medically induced coma. He regained consciousness after three and a half months, only to discover that he had severe brain injuries, impaired vision in his left eye, and was unable to use his legs. “My body has a mind of its own. It doesn’t want to move according to my wish like I was before,” he remarked.
Despite his ordeal, Deka expressed gratitude for the life-saving treatment at Royal Hobart Hospital and the ongoing care at the city’s repatriation centre. His friend, Rishabh Kaushik, mentioned that Deka is currently supported by his insurance company during his medical recovery.
As an overseas student, Deka cannot access the National Disability Insurance Scheme or Centrelink. When he leaves the repatriation centre, he will need specialized equipment and assistance to continue living in Hobart, a support that is financially daunting. “This support is going to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, which not us, not his parents, not the community can afford right now. And this is why our ask is for the government to help us so that we can make arrangements for Dev when he gets out of here,” Deka stated.
Deka may have to return to India before his student visa expires in March next year, with the insurance covering his flight if necessary. According to doctors, he will be paraplegic for the rest of his life, Kaushik said.
