As India demanded that Muhammad Haneef be treated “fairly and justly under the Australian law”, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said that the two governments had good contact throughout the detention of the Indian doctor, while he was under investigation for his role in the botched British bombings.

“We’ll continue to maintain very close contact with the Indian authorities and ensure that the Indian high commission is able to fulfil its consular responsibilities,” he told reporters.

The minister for foreign affairs said that there were ongoing discussions between authorities of both countries, and that India which wanted to be fully briefed about what was going on was conceded with. “From our private conversations with the Indians, I know Indians wanted to make sure that there is continuing cooperation,” Downer said.

Downer pointed out that India and Australia have a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on counter-terrorism.
“We know that it’s important that we keep the Indians as fully informed as we can, about the circumstances surrounding both the charges being brought against Haneef and also that he is being held in immigration detention now. We’ll make sure that the Indians understand that.”

The minister strongly emphasised that the large number of Australians of Indian origin and Indians who have permanent residency in Australia are welcome in Australia.

Haneef was on Wednesday sent to solitary confinement in a correction centre near Brisbane after filing an appeal challenging the revocation of his 457 work visa. As concern about his future mounted back home, a legal expert here said that the Australian government’s treatment of the Indian doctor might raise serious concerns about the “maladministration of justice”.

According to Ben Saul of  the University of Sydney, “India is rightly concerned about the appearance of political interference in a criminal proceeding involving an Indian national.

“While Australia and India normally enjoy positive diplomatic relations, Australia's treatment of Haneef may raise serious concerns in the Indian government about the maladministration of justice affecting Dr Haneef,” Saul said.

Lawyer admits leakage
Melbourne, PTI: A barrister for Mohamed Haneef has admitted to leaking to media a transcript of his client’s first police interview. In a statement, Stephen Keim said he had released to The Australian newspaper the transcript of the police interview of Haneef following the Indian doctor’s arrest at Brisbane Airport on July 2.

Denying any wrongdoing in releasing the restricted document, he said he was only responding to “an aggressive campaign of selective leaking” by authorities, Skynews channel reported on Wednesday.

Keim said he released the transcript because it provided in full the information the Australian Federal Police had concerning Haneef at the time of the arrest and the answers the Indian national gave during the interview.
Although access to such transcripts is normally restricted to police, prosecutors and defence lawyers until they are aired in court, Keim said he had no legal obligation to keep the document a secret.

‘No rift with India’
Sydney, AFP: Australia on Wednesday played down the risk of a diplomatic rift with India over the treatment of a doctor on terror charges.
“I don’t see any rift developing in relation to this matter,” Prime Minister John Howard told reporters.

India on Tuesday summoned Australia’s top diplomat in New Delhi to convey its “concern” over the treatment of Mohammed Haneef, 27, who has been charged in connection with failed car bomb attacks in Britain last month. “All the Indian government has done is to go through the proper processes of inquiry about one of its citizens,” Mr Howard said.