Haneef to reach Bangalore today
Indian doctor Mohamed Haneef, who has been cleared of terror-related charge by an Australian court, has left Brisbane and will reach India later today.Haneef, who spent nearly four weeks in custody, is expected to reach Bangalore at 9.30 p.m. today.
New Delhi/Bangalore, July 29 : Indian doctor Mohamed Haneef, who has been cleared of terror-related charge by an Australian court, has left Brisbane and will reach India later today.Haneef, who spent nearly four weeks in custody, is expected to reach Bangalore at 9.30 p.m. today.
Haneef was accompanied by his lawyer Peter Russo and his cousin Imran Siddiqui when he flew out of Brisbane Airport on Thai Airways flight TG 992.
Haneef was released from a Brisbane jail into residential detention on Friday, hours after a charge against him of providing support to a terrorist organisation was dropped.
Andrews, who had cancelled Haneef's work visa on July 16 when a Brisbane magistrate granted the doctor bail, said the visa remained cancelled.
"After taking advice, including from the Australian Federal Police, I have indicated that the Commonwealth has no objection to Dr Haneef leaving Australia. Indeed, the effect of the visa cancellation is that he should remove himself, he should depart Australia in any event," he said.
He said he had acted originally on the information given to him at the time by investigators and was waiting for advice as to whether he could release the protected information on which he had based his original decision to cancel Haneef's visa.
Russo has called for immediately reinstating Haneef's visa. He has charged Andrews with being the only person in Australia who still thought Haneef was guilty of something.
Russo said Haneef's legal team was disappointed that he was prevented from publicly thanking Australians who supported him during his detention.
Dr Haneef had been incarcerated since his arrest at Brisbane airport on July 2 over the foiled bomb attacks in the United Kingdom in late June.
Despite the charge being dropped, Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Mick Keelty has said that the investigation was still continuing.
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Australian prosecutors have dropped charges against Dr Mohamed Haneef, the Indian doctor held in Australia in connection with last month's attack on Glasgow airport. 

The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Bugg, said on Friday that a review he carried out found that there was insufficient evidence to support the charges of providing material support to terrorism laid against Dr. Haneef and that "embarrassing" mistakes were made. 

Dr Haneef was released from gaol and into "residential detention" until Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews reviews his earlier decision to cancel Haneef's visa.

Mr Bugg said that a prosecutor had told a Brisbane court incorrect information. He said that one of his prosecutors told the court that the SIM card at the centre of the affair was found in a Jeep which was laden with explosives and driven into Glasgow International Airport on June 30. 

"The first related to the SIM card and was based on a misunderstanding of the facts," Bugg said.

"The second related to the residence of Dr. Haneef in the U.K. and was based on incorrect material provided by the AFP."

Australian Federal Police chief Mick Kelty denied that the AFP had made any mistakes and said investigations would continue. He refused to rule out laying further charges against Dr Haneef.

Australian Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews who previously suspended Dr Haneef's work visa after he was granted bail has said he will review his decision to cancel the visa on character grounds. Mr Andrews said that Haneef had to reside in a place of his choosing and was free to move about the community but had to report to Immigration officials daily by telephone and in person every few days.

Speaking last night, Prime Minister John Howard attempted to distance his government from the affair claiming that his government had no control over how the police operate. 

Australian civil rights groups and political parties have strongly criticised the handling of the investigations.

Haneef accompanied by his lawyer Peter Russo and his cousin Imran Siddiqui when he flew out of Brisbane Airport on Thai Airways flight TG 992 to Bangalore, India.