Adelaide father Gaurav Kundi dies after attempted police arrest

Footage has emerged showing police trying to arrest a man who died in hospital two weeks after the incident on an Adelaide street.

Footage has been released of a police attempting to arrest an Adelaide man who later died in hospital after the incident.

Gaurav Kundi, 42, was involved in an incident with police on May 29, and early Friday his life support system was switched off.

Mr Kundi leaves behind two children and a wife.

In the footage obtained by 9News a woman can be heard screaming as Mr Kundi is held on the ground by officers.

Mr Kundi’s wife, Amritpal Kaur, filmed portions of the arrest, alleging an officer put a knee into her husband’s neck after she had stopped filming.

In a statement on Friday, South Australian Police said officers did not force a knee onto Mr Kundi’s neck during the arrest.

“The senior investigating officer conducting the (police) Commissioner’s inquiry has reviewed body worn vision and it has been confirmed that at no time was a knee applied to Mr Kundi’s neck,” the statement reads.

Adelaide father Gaurav Kundi, 42, has died in an Adelaide hospital. Picture: Supplied

“His head was not forced into the car or roadway at any point. However, the use of restraints during this incident will be closely examined during the Commissioner’s inquiry.”

Investigations and inquiries into the incident will have “several layers of independent oversight”, police say.

The footage shows a standing Mr Kundi being restrained by two officers.

One officer uses their own foot to trip or push Mr Kundi to the ground; Mr Kundi then falls on the bitumen.

His wife told Channel 9 she panicked and stopped filming, and alleges an officer put a knee into her husband’s neck after she had stopped filming.

Mr Kundi became unresponsive some time after he was taken to the ground by the officers.

Ms Kaur told Channel 9 her husband was drunk, and they had a minor altercation on the roadside before police arrived.

Police arrived at the incident at Payneham Road, in the suburb of Royston Park, about 2.45am on May 29.

The death is being investigated as a death in police custody. Picture: NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

Mr Kundi “became unresponsive” as he was arrested, police said at the time. Paramedics took him to Royal Adelaide Hospital in a critical condition. He died in hospital in the early hours of Friday, June 13.

Police are investigating the incident as a death in custody.

“Major Crime Investigation Branch will continue to investigate the cause and circumstances of his death and prepare a report for the state coroner,” a police spokesperson said on Friday.

“The investigation and inquiries of this incident will have several layers of independent oversight, including the Director of Public Prosecution, Office of Public Integrity and the State Coroner.”

Several investigations are underway into the death of Gaurav Kundi who died on Friday after being arrested by SA Police. Picture: Supplied

South Australian Police have also been providing updates directly to the Indian consulate.

The largest English-language Indian news outlets have been covering Mr Kundi’s death closely.

South Australian senator, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, made assurances to Australia’s Indian community, but would not comment until investigations were concluded.

“More broadly what I would say to the Indian community here in Australia, and the broader Indian community, this is an investigation that will be done properly and be assured of our friendship certainly with India, but also the importance of the Indian diaspora here in Australia,” she said.

Originally published as Adelaide father Gaurav Kundi dies after attempted police arrest