Aussie police find no Haneef link to terror

New Delhi: The Australian police have decided not to seek further extension of Indian doctor Mohammad Haneef's detention.

However, an Australian court has given police three days to charge Haneef or release him. The court has also given just 12 hours to police to question Haneef over the next three days.

Haneef, who is the UK terror suspect Kafeel Ahmed's cousin, has been in detention for 11 days now and his detention ends on Friday.

Indian high commission officials in Australia were to meet the Attorney General on Friday to seek Haneef's release.

Haneef's prolonged detention without charge had raised question marks but Australian Prime Minister John Howard defended the anti-terror laws.

Howard said, “I think the counter terror laws are good. They are necessary. And if they need to be strengthened i will strengthen them.”

“We haven’t spoken to him yet. But we heard the news that he will be released within 12 hours. We are very happy. I am not in touch with them but my brother’s father-in-law is in touch with them,” says Haneef’s brother Shoiab.

No charges had been filed against him indicating lack of evidence.

Meanwhile Haneef's lawyer, Peter Rosso, said the episode was having an adverse effect on the detainee and his family.

"It's impacting on him, obviously socially... So also it is impacting his family in India...there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed and it is difficult to address those in any given day," Rosso told an Australian TV channel on Thursday.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) on Wednesday wanted Haneef's detention to be extended by five days but a Brisbane Court allowed him to be held only for two days till Friday when court proceedings resume.

"The whole situation flies in the face of the rule of law. If his case goes to trial, the presumption of innocence has already been significantly affected. If he is released he (Haneef) will not be able to return to normal life without suspicion," Amnesty said.

Civil rights groups and lawyers have called on Haneef to either be charged or set free, but Prime Minister John Howard said on Friday that he was not uncomfortable with Haneef's detention without charge under tough anti-terrorism laws.

"I'm happy with the laws because I sponsored them. I defend them. We do need to arm ourselves with the laws that are being applied at the present circumstance," News agency quoted Howard as saying.

"I think the Australian public is entitled to effective laws and God forbid that we should ever have a terrorist attack in this country," Howard added.

The Australian newspaper said that despite searches across the country, the questioning six Indian doctors and 11 days detention, police had failed to find any evidence linking Haneef to the British attacks.

Five other Indian doctors questioned have been released.

Two car bombs primed to explode in London's bustling theatre and nightclub district were discovered early on June 29. The following day a jeep crashed into the terminal building at Glasgow airport and burst into flames.

Earlier this week, Haneef was allowed by Australian authorities to speak to his wife in Bangalore for the first time since he was taken into custody.

His counsel Peter Russo said that Haneef got in touch with his wife over telephone after the Indian consulate confirmed the phone number for security purposes.