New Delhi/Melbourne (IANS) India Sunday 'strongly condemned' the knifing death of an Indian student in a brutal attack in Melbourne, the first fatality in New Year in a spate of attacks on the community members that started last year.

External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna strongly condemned the knife attack and death of the 21-year-old student, and asked the Australian authorities to speedily bring to book people responsible for the crime.

Nitin Garg, who hails from Punjab, was studying accounting in Australia. He was attacked and knifed Saturday night by a group of unidentified men in a park when he was walking towards Hungry Jack's restaurant, where he worked part-time.

Krishna has directed the Indian high commissioner in Canberra and the Indian consul general in Melbourne to closely coordinate with the Australian authorities and extend all assistance to the family of the victim as well as members of the Indian community there, the external affairs ministry said here.

The Australian police were quick to deny any racist motive in the attack.

'I think to jump to any conclusion like that is presumptuous and may well interfere with the investigations,' Senior Sergeant David Snare told reporters in Melbourne when asked about the allegedly racist nature of the attack.

The attacks on Indian students started in June last year, eliciting protests from India and putting bilateral ties under stress.

The Australian government has repeatedly denied any racist element in the attacks and has put in place a series of security measures to protect Indian students.