Haneef’s relative leaves for Australia

Even as a relative of detained Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef reached Brisbane to assist him in the legal battle, his wife Firdaus Arshiya wants him to be cleared of all charges made against him by the Australian police.

Reacting to reports that the Australian Government was planning to deport the Indian doctor to contain the adverse political fallout of his detention in that country, Haneef’s wife made it clear that she does not want him to be deported from Australia.

“I don’t want him to be deported. I want him to be cleared of all charges. He has to come out clean”, she said.

Meanwhile, Firdaus Arshiya’s cousin Imran Siddiqui, who left Bangalore for Australia with pictures of Haneef’s new-born baby, had reached Brisbane. He was granted a visa by the Australian immigration department after necessary security checks.

“He would meet Haneef and hand over the photographs along with some letters. He would also meet Haneef’s counsel Peter Russo and discuss the various aspects of the case in which he has been framed”, she said.

Imran Siddiqui was chosen by the family to go to Australia as he is a well-travelled person. “We chose to send him because he is knowledgable”, Firdous Arshiya said. Imran Siddiqui is scheduled to meet the Indian High Commissioner in Australia on Monday.

Reacting to a question on the payment of surety amount to the Australian authorities for his release on bail, Firdous Arshiya said they had not thought anything about the payment of the bail amount. Before his visa was revoked by the Australian authorities, the court had granted him bail against a surety amount of 10,000 Australian dollars, which works out to around Rs 400,000.

“Imran is not going there to submit the bail amount, but only to extend support to Haneef that at this crucial moment he is not alone”, she said.

Meanwhile, a second relative of Haneef is also scheduled to visit Australia shortly. According to Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed, Haneef’s wife had approached him for assistance in facilitating a visa for another relative to visit Haneef.

Another relative – Iqbal Ahmed Siddiqui – has been granted visa and he will leave for Australia shortly, Ahamed told reporters in Bangalore.