NDTV Report
Friday, July 13, 2007 (Brisbane)
The Australian police have dropped their bid to extend the detention of Indian doctor Mohammad Haneef who was held in connection with the failed UK terror plot.
The police were to seek an extra three days of detention but on Friday withdrew the move in a Brisbane court.
They now have 12 hours spread over three days to question Haneef before charging him or releasing him.
NDTV also spoke to Haneef's wife after reports of his impending release came in.
''I am thankful to Australian and Indian media. I am very happy. I spoke to him last night also and he was confident that he will be freed. He was more concerned about our baby's health,'' she said.
Lack of evidence
The Australian police have not been able to gather any concrete evidence against him. According to reports, documents circulated by senior public servants in the Howard government reportedly showed the Australian Federal Police had scant or no evidence against Dr Haneef.
Highlighting this fact, The Australian, a leading daily carried a frontpage headline saying police have nothing on Haneef after 10-day search.
The corresponding news item went on to say that the police have found no evidence to justify charges against Haneef. The paper said:
''Police have been unable to find any evidence against Dr Mohamed Haneef to justify charges despite executing several search warrants in a massive investigation over the past 10 days. The AFP has been delaying further formal questioning of Dr Haneef because without incriminating evidence they cannot test his knowledge.''
Sharp reactions
Haneef's detention without charge also evoked sharp reactions in Australia. Its Law Council had said the ''law was not operating fairly'' in the Indian doctor's case.
The Law Council as well as Amnesty International had voiced concern over the continuous detention.
The assessment of the Council and Amnesty came two days after the Australian Greens party called for Haneef to be charged or released.
Earlier, Haneef's lawyer Peter Russo said the doctor was becoming ''melancholic'' over his continued detention.
Howard's stand
The Australian Prime Minister John Howard had also said he was not uncomfortable with the continued detention without charge of Mohammad Haneef. When asked if he was uncomfortable with the 11-day-long detention, Howard had said ''No, I am not'.
He also added that the war on terror was a different type of battle and needed different laws.
''I'm not calling him a terrorist, I'm not passing a judgment on him and I'm not going to pass a judgment on the process he is subjected to at the moment. I am happy with the laws because I sponsored them,'' he said.
Dr Haneef is the first person to be held under the 2004 Anti-Terrorism Act.
Woman suspect
Marwa Asha, the only woman among eight suspects arrested by British police investigating the botched London and Glasgow bomb plots has been released without charge, according to Scotland Yard.
Marwa was arrested along with her doctor husband Mohammed Asha on the M6 motorway in Cheshire on June 30, hours after a blazing jeep crashed into the terminal building of Glasgow airport.
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