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Feb 3, 2010

Indian man lied about attack



MELBOURNE (Australia) - POLICE on Wednesday said an Indian man who claimed he was attacked by four men and set on fire made the story up after accidentally lighting himself on fire while torching his car in an insurance fraud scheme. Jaspreet Singh, 29, of Melbourne, appeared at a bail hearing on charges of making a false police report and criminal damage with a view to gaining a financial advantage. He did not enter a plea. The Jan 8 incident occurred amid growing tension between India and Australia over a highly publicised spate of street violence against Indian students in recent months in Melbourne, Australia's second largest city.

Singh told police he was parking his car when four men approached him, pushed him against the car and poured a fluid on him. He said one of the men then set him on fire. Singh was left with burns to his arms, chest and face, police said.But on Wednesday, Detective Senior Constable Danielle O'Keefe told the court arson chemists and hospital staff had determined Singh's injuries and damage to his clothes and car were not consistent with his story.

'Police inquiries have led us to believe that Mr Singh is in some financial difficulty and that he intended to sell his car but instead stood to gain $11,000 from an insurance claim out of this particular incident,' she told the court. Singh was granted bail and ordered to appear in Magistrates' Court on March 15. -- AP