Premier Allan then blew up at the reporter, demanding she immediately retract the accusation and refused to answer any further questions until she did.

Fire Rescue Victoria worked to prevent the fire from engulfing the entire building, successfully bringing the situation under control before major structural damage occurred.

In the weeks after his death, the boys’ mother was hospitalised for acute mental health care and later travelled to India to be supported by her sisters, leaving the brothers without a parent able to care for them in Australia.

"You can remove a physical statue, but the message of harmony it stands for is something no one can ever steal.”

“Crimes like this are an attack on all Victorians who value respect, inclusion and the strength of our diverse society”

The redevelopments will triple housing capacity across the sites and deliver energy-efficient and accessible dwellings.

The society also acknowledged its children’s learning group and presented its Yuva (Youth) of the Year 2025 award to Aashini Rastogi.

“There was blood everywhere — on the street, in the house, all over his face. They made sure before they left, even kicking him in the head, that he wasn’t moving.”

Detectives are urging anyone who recognises the man in the CCTV images, or who has CCTV or dashcam footage

The incident has intensified scrutiny of the $26 billion North East Link project, which will connect the Eastern Freeway at Bulleen via a 10-kilometre corridor including 6.5 kilometres of tunnels.