Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef, detained for the last nine days for suspected links to the foiled UK bomb plots, will spend at least two more days in custody as a court in Australia on Wednesday adjourned the hearing on the matter to Friday.
The Australian Federal Police on Wednesday were to apply for a three-day extension to Haneef's detention without charge, but the proceedings in the Brisbane court were adjourned until 2.15 pm local time Friday after the doctor's lawyers reportedly asked the magistrate in the case to disqualify himself.
The lawyers refused to disclose the grounds on which they had made the application for the unnamed magistrate to stand down.
The AFP's application to have Haneef's detention extended is yet to be heard.
"The matter has been adjourned until 2.15 pm Friday afternoon," Haneef's lawyer Peter Russo said adding, "There was legal argument tonight and the magistrate has gone away to consider that."
"I can't really comment on what the point of law was at this stage because basically, he has reserved his decision," he said.
Russo said he had obtained some details on why his client was being held.
"We are making headway in relation to that," he said, but added that he could not divulge the information because it was classified and related to national security.