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.

ANI