Melbourne, Sep 27 (IANS) A man was brutally attacked by four teenagers in this Australian city after they asked him "Buddy, are you Indian?".

The Indian man, 21, was walking to Sandown Park rail station at 6.40 a.m. last Wednesday when four teenagers on bikes approached him. They were armed with baseball bats, Dandenong Leader reported Monday.

One of them asked the victim: "Buddy, are you Indian?"

The man was hit from behind. He fell down and he was then kicked while he lay on the ground, said Sergeant Jo Hayden of Springvale Police.

He suffered bruises and had a large cut on his nose.

The victim was taken home by two passers-by.

Federation of Indian Association of Victoria president Vasan Srinivasan condemned the attack and said: "This country is such a multi-cultural society, especially if you look at Dandenong as a region."

"My only request to youngsters is, let's learn to respect each other, live with harmony and peace. What else we can say?"

Hayden stated that another man of Indian origin was attacked Tuesday night, but the police official couldn't confirm whether it was a racially motivated attack.

In the second attack, the Indian man, 39, was walking home at about 6 p.m. along Moncur Ave in Springvale.

He was punched to the ground and kicked.