Melbourne: Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef, detained in connection with the failed UK terror plots, broke down in tears during a visit by his lawyer and told interrogators that he "is not a terrorist".
Launching a court bid to free Haneef, who has been in the Brisbane watch house since July two, his lawyer Peter Russo said his client was getting depressed after 11 days in detention.
Haneef had become "a bit teary" when they discussed the length of time he already had spent in custody, the lawyer was quoted as saying by 'The Australian' newspaper.
The 27-year-old doctor's legal team was on Saturday expected to argue for hearing the case to step aside, before challenging a bid by police to detain Haneef for a further three days.
"(Today's hearing is) really just in relation to the unfairness of detaining someone this length of time," Russo said adding, "and also for detaining someone in a situation in which they haven't been further questioned."
According to media reports, the medical practitioner has claimed himself to be an innocent pawn, wrongly deemed guilty by association and family ties to known British terror suspects.
"He (Haneef) is not, he insists, a terrorist," 'The Australian' said. PTI NC Police are examining more than 30,000 documents seized in raids across Australia, including files on Heneef's laptop computer and mobile phone SIM cards left with the alleged UK bombers.
Just hours before the deadline, talking to ABC radio, Haneef's lawyer Peter Russo, who had a 30-minute meeting with him last night, claimed that he was being treated unfairly and all the information on the case was not shared.
Officers searched Haneef's apartment on the Gold Coast yesterday for the second time. Meanwhile, Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said that Haneef appeared in a hurry to leave the country. "The appearance as I am told was that he had left rather hurriedly," Ruddock said.
"His wife says it's because she gave birth to a child two weeks ago," he said adding "that may be well the reason but certainly the appearance was that his intention (was) to leave with speed."
Ruddock suggested that Haneef had given other reasons for his behaviour.
"The further explanations that have been offered may be reasonable but they may also be a cover for something else," he was quoted as saying by 'The Australian' on Saturday. The attorney-general said other foreign doctors working in Australia, who had been questioned by police, could be interviewed again.
"If there were evidence involving other parties I have absolutely no doubt questioning would occur and if the evidence was sufficient for charges they would be brought," he said while stressing the presumption of innocence for all people involved.
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