THE ASIAN AGE

Summons to Aussie envoy on doc in jail

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, July 17: The Foreign Office on Tuesday summoned Australia’s high commissioner to India John McCarthy and conveyed its concern at the continued detention of Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef.

The high commissioner was summoned by joint secretary (south) Biren Nanda to reiterate India’s views a day after a similar message was sent to the Australian high commission in New Delhi.

The Indian government is understood to have sought "fair treatment" of 27-year-old Haneef. On Monday, the ministry of external affairs had conveyed to the high commission its concern over Haneef’s detention and asked Canberra to treat him "fairly and justly under Australian law".

Mr McCarthy said that New Delhi had voiced its concern about the impact of certain aspects of the legal process as portrayed publicly in Australia. He said that he sought to explain some of the issues involved.

The envoy was summoned a day after the Australian government invoked immigration laws to keep Dr Haneef in custody even after a court there had granted him bail in the failed UK terror attack case.

The Indian high commission in Canberra is helping Haneef’s family in arranging legal assistance. Haneef, detained in Brisbane on July 2 in connection with two failed terror plots in Britain, was charged on July 14 with "recklessly" providing support to a terrorist organisation by giving mobile phone SIM card to British suspects Sabeel and Kafeel Ahmed in July 2006.

Brisbane magistrate Jacqui Payne had granted Haneef bail on Monday subject to a few conditions, saying that the prosecution had not alleged any direct link between the Bangalore doctor and the botched car bombings in London and Glasgow.