The Hindu : Front Page : “Significant material” gathered against Indian doctor

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Friday, Jul 06, 2007
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“Significant material” gathered against Indian doctor

P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE: The Australian Federal Police Commissioner, Mick Keelty, on Thursday disclosed that “a significant amount of material” had been gathered in the case relating to the continued detention of Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef under counter-terrorism laws.

Dr. Haneef, who was detained at Brisbane airport last Monday before he could board a flight for a family reunion at Bangalore, remained in detention without any charges being laid against him.

Conflicting late-night reports from Brisbane spoke about the police being granted another 48 hours, or 96 hours as first indicated, to question him. There was, however, no immediate official confirmation of the new deadline.

An earlier judicial extension had permitted his detention, without charges, until Thursday night.

Timeline for detention

A timeline for detention without any charges is yet to be implemented under Australia’s counter-terror legislation.

With an un-named British anti-terror investigator joining Australia’s police and other experts on Thursday in the interrogation of Dr. Haneef, Mr. Keelty said they “need to sift through” a lot of data. The Police Commissioner noted that the material had been seized at Dr. Haneef’s Brisbane residence.

Australian officials, however, reaffirmed that the Indian had not been arrested. He was only “detained.”

The period of detention being judicially granted allows “dead-time” recesses for the detainee’s rest and other requirements and for preparations by the investigators.

On a different front, the freed Indian doctor, Mohammed Asif Ali, was believed to have been lodged at a “safe house” for the time being.

An Australian official said Dr. Ali “has been inundated by the media [and] so, he has sought our assistance to get on with his life.”

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