
As news came in that charges had been filed first against Mohd Haneef and then Sabeel Ahmed in the UK terror attacks, the residences of the two Bangalore doctors were shocked into silence.
Haneef8217;s wife said her hope that the Australian Police would not charge her husband with anything so 8220;senseless8221; had been belied.
Sabeel8217;s family 8212; looking at the prospect of not seeing one son for long even as another, Kafeel, one of the alleged attackers in the plot, lies battling for life 8212; refused to emerge from behind closed doors. Since they have stopped watching TV, it was a family friend who today told them that Sabeel had been charged in the foiled attacks.
Haneef8217;s family was least prepared for Saturday8217;s turn of events as it was actually anticipating that the doctor would be released following the Australian police8217;s decision on Friday to not seek his further detention.
At her father8217;s home in south Bangalore, Haneef8217;s wife Firdaus Arshiya sat cradling their 18-day-old firstborn daughter. The family claims Haneef was rushing home to see his baby for the first time when he was held. The baby had developed jaundice and Haneef was reportedly worried.
Questioning the charges of 8220;recklessness8221; levelled at her husband, Firdaus told reporters: 8220;I had patience till now because I thought that they will not find anything and they will not charge him without any reason. But I did not know that the Australian police are so stupid and are charging on something so senseless.8221;
Appealing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for intervention, Firdaus asked how her husband could be charged on the basis of a SIM card. The family admits that Haneef had given the SIM to Sabeel but only because there was a lot of talk time remaining on it. Firdaus also doesn8217;t deny that the two had stayed in touch.
8220;If he had to be charged for the SIM card, he would have been charged on the first day itself when he was detained. They did not charge him because they knew it was not an offence. He is innocent,8221; she said.
8220;We are trying to contact him, but have not been able to. We are trying to do something,8221; she added. 8220;It is not only his life. All our lives are connected to him. My life, my daughter8217;s life, his mother, his brother, everyone is connected.8221;
Police in Bangalore said nothing had come up against Dr Haneef and Dr Sabeel in their investigations here so far. Sources said Dr Haneef was being charged on the basis of the evidence from the UK police.