Verdict on Haneef's appeal on Aug 21
An Australian court on Thursday reserved judgement on Muhammed Haneef's bid to get back his visa until August 21 after terror charges against the Indian doctor over the foiled terror plot in the U.K were dropped.
By PTI |
MELBOURNE: An Australian court on Thursday reserved judgement on Muhammed Haneef's bid to get back his visa until August 21 after terror charges against the Indian doctor over the foiled terror plot in the U.K were dropped.
Judge Jeffery Spender of the Federal Court in Brisbane said he expected to hand down on August 21 his decision on Haneef's appeal against Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews' controversial decision to revoke his work visa.
Haneef, 27, was working at a state hospital on Australia's Gold Coast when he was arrested on July 2 and charged with providing support to a terror group.
When Haneef was granted bail by a court, Andrews revoked his visa and refused to restore it even after the charges were finally dropped.
Andrews had cancelled the visa saying Haneef had failed the character test provided by immigration laws because he had an association with people suspected of criminal activity, namely his second cousins Sabeel and Kafeel Ahmed.
Haneef, who was detained for more than three weeks, returned to India proclaiming his innocence and his desire to get back his visa and job.
Solicitor-General David Bennett QC, representing the immigration minister, said the minister had based his decision on a number of factors including that Haneef had lent his mobile phone SIM card to Sabeel Ahmed when he left the UK last year and had borrowed money from Kafeel.
Judge Jeffery Spender of the Federal Court in Brisbane said he expected to hand down on August 21 his decision on Haneef's appeal against Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews' controversial decision to revoke his work visa.
Haneef, 27, was working at a state hospital on Australia's Gold Coast when he was arrested on July 2 and charged with providing support to a terror group.
When Haneef was granted bail by a court, Andrews revoked his visa and refused to restore it even after the charges were finally dropped.
Andrews had cancelled the visa saying Haneef had failed the character test provided by immigration laws because he had an association with people suspected of criminal activity, namely his second cousins Sabeel and Kafeel Ahmed.
Haneef, who was detained for more than three weeks, returned to India proclaiming his innocence and his desire to get back his visa and job.
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His lawyers argued in court that the doctor should not have failed a "character test" simply because he was related to men allegedly involved in the attempted attacks in London and Glasgow. The lawyers argued it was no more than an "innocent association" and not a valid reason to cancel his visa. Solicitor-General David Bennett QC, representing the immigration minister, said the minister had based his decision on a number of factors including that Haneef had lent his mobile phone SIM card to Sabeel Ahmed when he left the UK last year and had borrowed money from Kafeel.
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