The Hindu : Front Page : College stunned at doctors’ detention

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Thursday, Jul 05, 2007
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College stunned at doctors’ detention

K.V. Subramanya and Sharath S. Srivatsa

The families of Haneef and Sabeel, who passed out from the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Medical College, are in a state of anguish

— Photos: AP, Sreenivasa Murthy

Shock and disbelief: Qurat-ul-ain and Sumaiya, mother and sister of Mohammed Haneef, an Indian doctor who was detained in Australia in connection with the failed terror plots in Britain, at their house in Bangalore on Wednesday. At right, Maqbool and Zakia Ahmed, parents of Sabeel Ahmed, who has been arrested in London, at their Bangalore residence.

BANGALORE: The detention of two alumni of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Medical College here for their suspected role in the Glasgow terror plot has come as a shock to the students and faculty.

Mohammed Haneef, who has been detained in Brisbane, Australia, and Sabeel Ahmed, who is in the custody of the U.K. police, completed their MBBS from the college. The families of the two doctors, who are relatives, are in a state of anguish and disbelief.

“He is innocent”

“Sabeel was a social person with vast contacts in the Indian community in England,” said his mother Dr. Zakia Ahmed, who works in the Bangalore Medical College. “He is innocent and he will come out clean. If following one’s religion is fundamentalism, then everyone is a fundamentalist,” she said in response to a question on Sabeel’s religious beliefs.

A student of the college between 1998 and 2003, Sabeel had secured admission through the Common Entrance Test (CET) under the payment quota.

He took six months more than the stipulated period for completing the course, as he had to clear a paper. Sabeel completed internship during 2003-2004.

He went to the U.K. to pursue higher studies in November 2004, visited India recently and returned on May 13.

Sabeel had his schooling at Oxford School in J.P. Nagar in Bangalore South. However, his family as well as the college authorities refused to provide details of where he did his Pre-University/Class 12.

“Though an average student, Sabeel was academically inclined and wanted to finish the course in time,” recalled principal B.R. Ramesh, who taught him and Haneef anatomy during their first year MBBS. Sabeel was a year junior to Haneef.

Dr. Ramesh said, “The news of the detention of our students is totally shocking. Until the allegations are confirmed, I will not believe their involvement.”

A batchmate of Haneef and also a friend of Sabeel, who chose to remain anonymous, said Sabeel was a “cool guy” and was as normal a student as anyone else in the college.

He said, “Sabeel was a nice person who also involved himself in extra-curricular activities like sports.”

Meanwhile, it is learnt, Australian High Commission officials have spoken to Haneef’s family here and assured it that he was detained only for questioning.

His family members were incommunicado despite frequent visits by media teams to their residence at Richard’s Town.

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