Australian consular staff contact accused man in India

Brlsbane

AUSTRALIAN consular officials have visited a Gold Coast man jailed in India on charges of attempted murder.
Justin Lewis Reibel, 30, was arrested on Thursday after allegedly shooting an air rifle at a man urinating in front of his apartment building.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said yesterday consular officials had visited Reibel.
Attempted murder carries a 10-year jail sentence in India.
Reibel's mother, Denise, was clearly upset as she spoke to The Courier-Mail yesterday about her son's arrest.
"I'm waiting until Monday to hear what is going to happen," she said. "No one has had any access to him."
Reibel's wife, Lisa, remained at the couple's Gold Coast home at the weekend and could not be contacted.
The family said they had received instructions not to talk publicly about Reibel's arrest, which comes as tensions between Australia and India mount, with allegations of racially fuelled violence against Indians studying in Melbourne.
A funeral for Indian accounting graduate Nitin Garg was expected to be held overnight after the 21-year-old's body arrived home yesterday.
He was stabbed to death as he walked to his job in a fast food restaurant last weekend.
On Saturday another Indian in Australia, Jaspreet Singh, 29, was attacked. Four men allegedly poured fluid over him and set him alight.
Trade Minister and acting Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Crean said yesterday the Australian High Commission in Delhi had been in close contact with Indian Government.
"I think the relationship is going through a difficult time, but I think at government-to-government level it is still very strong," he said.
Mr Crean denied the attacks were racially motivated.