By IANS
New Delhi : Muhammad Haneef, the Indian doctor detained in Australia for his alleged links to the failed British car bombings, is assumed to be innocent unless proven otherwise, a senior Australian minister said Wednesday.
"There is an assumption of innocence unless proven otherwise," Australian Defence Minister Brendan Nelson told reporters here.
He was speaking after a meeting with his Indian counterpart A.K. Antony, following which the two countries signed an agreement on information sharing to take forward their memorandum of understanding signed last year on ramping up their defence and strategic cooperation.
"It needs to be emphasised that our concerns relate to the behaviour of terrorists. We also assume (Haneef's) innocence till proven otherwise and will work with the Indian police authorities in concluding the investigations," Nelson, a medical doctor by profession, mainatained.
He also admitted that Australia had received a communication from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the visit here of an Australian police officer to investigate the Indian connection in the London and Glasgow bombings.
"We are aware of the letter rogatory from the CBI. We are negotiating on this through the processes of the Indian and Australian governments. We are dealing with this in the appropriate manner," Nelson maintained.
At the same time, he refused to say how long Haneef, detained without charge in a Brisbane watchhouse for the past nine days, would remain in custody.
"I can't shed any information on this beyond saying there is an assumption of innocence unless otherwise proved," Nelson maintained.
"A detention is ordered after due processes by a judge or a magistrate. These processes, by necessity and definition are complex. The period of detention is dependant on the police being satisfied in completing their enquiry and ensuring all relevant lines of investigation are complete.
"The process is thorough, scrupulous and meticulous. There is no intention of detention beyond the period considered relevant by a magistrate," the minister added.
Haneef has been held under Australia's new counter terrorism laws. Concerns have been raised from various quarters in the country since the laws were introduced. There is no specified maximum time limit for detention in the legislation. Civil liberty groups are calling on the Australian government to review these laws.
Nelson also sought to downplay fears that Haneef's detention and the arrest of his two cousins in Britain in connection with the car bombings, would lead to racial stereotyping of Indian doctors in Australia.
"Any screening on lines of nationality or religion is not acceptable. Recruitment is in line with international standards. Nothing else should matter," he said.
Nelson replied in the negative when asked if the agreement the two countries signed Wednesday would help speed up the investigations.
"The agreement relates to sharing information in the sphere of defence, security and counter-terrorism. It does not relate to trans-national crimes," he pointed out.
Nelson prefaced his remarks by pointing to the contribution made by Indian doctors since the end of the Second World War.
"As a medical practitioner, as an Australian minister, I can say the Australian healthcare system is of an extremely high standard largely due to the determination, hard work and dedication of Indian doctors. After World War II, Indian doctors performed a key role in taking healthcare services to the rural areas.
"There are 156,000 Indians in Australia. They are making a key contribution to building a modern Australia," Nelson maintained.