Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef Saturday night left for India aboard a Thai Airways flight, a day after he was cleared of terror charges in connection with the failed car bombings in Britain.
He was flown out of Brisbane International Airport on his way to India after the Immigration Department returned his passport, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
The 27-year-old doctor, who was freed yesterday after almost four weeks in custody following his arrest on July 2, told his lawyer that he was homesick and anxious to be reunited with his family, it said.
Haneef is aboard a Thai Airways flight via Bangkok, accompanied by his relative Imran Siddiqui, who came here last week to provide moral support to him, the report said.
Peter Russo, a lawyer for Haneef, said before the flight took off that his client, whose visa has been cancelled, has not been deported but has chosen to return.
"He had a choice of either staying until the (visa) hearing was concluded or going back to be with his wife and child on a voluntary basis and he chose to go back voluntarily," he said.
Russo said immigration authorities banned Haneef from speaking to the media before he left. "Unfortunately I wasn't able to facilitate him publicly being able to thank the Australian public and the Australian media."
Haneef and Russo have vowed to keep fighting to have the work visa of the Indian doctor reinstated.
Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said the government will resist appeals in the Federal Court to restore Haneef's visa. "I do not propose to change my decision (of canceling Haneef's visa) and that the Commonwealth will continue to resist this appeal in the Federal Court."
