Haneef’s brother Mohammed Shoaib Azhar, an engineering student, said he had spoke to him at around 4 pm IST on Monday. “He told me he was coming on a Singapore Airlines flight, landing here on Tuesday. He wanted to be picked up at the airport,” Shoaib said.

According to the family, Haneef was rushing to Bangalore to see his child born on June 26 under a Caesarean section at the Sagar Apollo Hospital at Bangalore. “Three days after she was born, she was diagnosed as having jaundice. This worried Haneef and he applied for leave under an emergency category at the hospital in Australia,” Shoaib said, adding that Haneef was also keen to see the 10-day old daughter of his sister Sumayya, a PG degree holder in biotechnology.

Haneef is also reported to have called his wife soon after obtaining leave to announce his trip home. He also reportedly told colleagues at the Gold Coast Hospital that he was going home to see his wife and baby.

“We never expected something like this to happen. We have no records to prove he was not leaving Australia to be with his family. Studies and reading were his main passion, he had few friends after college,” Shoaib said.

“His aim in going to UK and Australia was to study further. He intended to return at some point and work in India. There can be no evidence against him. There were no hidden sides to his character,” sister Sumaiyya said. Neighbours, friends and former medical schoolmates of Haneef said the detained doctor was a quiet, mild mannered individual who largely kept to himself and his work.