New Delhi: A 28-year-old Indian student has been stabbed multiple times in the face, chest and abdomen in Australia by a man who allegedly demanded cash, Australian officials have said.His condition, according to officials, is serious but stable.The incident took place on October 6 at about 10:30 pm local time, as the victim, Shubham Garg, walked along the Pacific Highway, NSW Police Force said in a statement on Monday.According to Daily Telegraph, one Daniel Norwood (27) is suspected to have carried out the attack. He was charged with attempted murder.“The man (Garg) suffered multiple stab wounds to his face, chest, and abdomen; he sought assistance from a nearby house before being taken to Royal North Shore Hospital. The man underwent surgery and remains there in a serious but stable condition,” the NSW Police Force statement said.Garg was approached by an unknown man near the Pacific Highway Lane Cove on Thursday. The unknown man allegedly threatened him while demanding cash, In The Cove newspaper reported.The man refused and was allegedly stabbed a number of times in the abdomen before the assailant fled, the report added. The emergency services were called. The North Shore Police Area Command attended and located the injured man and established a crime scene, it said.Officers attached to North Shore Police Area Command have been investigating the stabbing and formed Strike Force Prosy, it said. Following extensive inquiries by Strike Force Prosy detectives, a search warrant was executed on a home on the Pacific Highway at Greenwich at about 3:40 pm on Sunday.Norwood, of Gosford, was arrested at the scene and was taken to Chatswood Police Station, where he was charged with one count of attempted murder after the alleged stabbing, the statement said.A number of items were seized from the home and have been taken for forensic examination, it said.He was refused bail and appeared at Hornsby Local Court on Monday and will remain in custody with the next court appearance. The Police Media Unit advised the following to In The Cove, “We can confirm the men are not believed to have known each other before the incident.”Meanwhile, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) in New Delhi on Friday said that the high commission in Canberra is in touch with the local authorities over the incident and expects action to be taken against the perpetrators.During the weekly briefing on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “It’s a sad incident. The student is being treated in the hospital. Our High Commission in Canberra and our Consulate in Sydney are closely in touch with the local authorities. We are also in contact with his family here.”He added that an Indian official had visited the hospital where Garg was being treated. “Our consular services have been extended. We have come to know that one suspect has been detained. The investigation part will be conveyed by Australian authorities.”The Australian high commission had been requested to expedite the travel documents of the family members so that they can urgently reach Australia and attend to their family member, Bagchi said.The MEA spokesperson stated that India’s expectation was that the “issue should seriously be looked into and action be taken against the perpetrators”.On a question of whether it was a racist attack, he noted, “I would not go into the speculation that whether the attack is racial or not. Our focus is on treatment and that the student becomes out of danger (sic).”(With PTI inputs)