Victorian top cop asks Indians to 8216;look poor8217; to avoid attacks

8220;Don8217;t display your iPods,don8217;t display your valuable watch,don8217;t display your valuable jewellery. Try to look as poor as you can,8221; Overland was quoted as saying by 8216;The Age8217;.

The Victorian Police Chief Commissioner said students could take some steps to protect themselves.

8220;If you can live somewhere safer,live somewhere safer,8221; he said. 8220;If you can avoid public transport into high-risk areas late at night,avoid it.8221;

Victorian Premier John Brumby defended his top cop,saying the advice to the overseas students to avoid crime,as per Overland,was a comment about high crime areas.

8220;He may have been making the point that in some areas,there are higher crime rates than in others,8221; the Premier was quoted as saying by 8216;AAP8217;.

Brumby said he and the police chief condemned in the strongest possible terms 8220;acts of violence,and particularly any violence which is racially motivated8221;.

But,the Federation of Indian Student Association FISA rejected Overland8217;s remarks with its spokesperson Gautam Gupta calling the police chief8217;s advice 8220;ridiculous.8221;