Six Indian students have been left shaken after the house they share in Melbourne’s west was broken into for the second time in less than a month.
Prabhadh Ponnamenani had a knife held to his throat when three robbers broke into the apartment he and five other mates from India share in Albion just two weeks ago. The robbers had stolen Prabhadh’s car, phone and his wallet last time. The Indian national was still reeling from the Feb 13 incident when thieves struck again at around 1:30 on Tuesday morning.
“This has left us pretty rattled off. We will be moving out as soon as possible,” Mr Ponnamenani told reporters.
The thieves entered the apartment through a bathroom window before holding a knife to a woman in a neighbouring property. The intruders are described as of African appearance who were armed with a hammer and a knife.
An Indian student who lives with five of his mates in Albion says he may not apply for his permanent residency after an armed robbery at their apartment. Source: Nine Network
Their victim was asleep with her son when the men entered the house. They were chased out by Ed, the woman’s fiancé after he heard her scream as the men held a knife to the woman’s throat, 9 News reported.
During the last incident, Mr Ponnamenani was sleeping on the couch on the first floor while his mates were asleep upstairs when the intruders armed themselves with kitchen knives and demanded wallets, phones and car keys.
Mr Ponnamenani, who moved to Australia just last year and was planning to get his wife and children to Australia, said he was now having second thoughts about it.
The international students said they were done with the western suburbs of Melbourne and were preparing to move somewhere else after the first time they were targeted.
A housemate said he would not stay back in Australia after finishing his university degree.
