Sydney:
An India-born doctor in Australia, convicted of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old patient, has walked free from an immigration detention centre.
Suhail Durani, 36, was convicted of inappropriately touching the patient and asking her indecent questions in the February 20, 2010, incident at the Royal Perth Hospital.
He was held at the centre after he was released from the Casuarina prison south of Perth in February this year and the Australian immigration authorities cancelled his visa, ABC Online reported Monday.
He had served 18 months in jail after being found guilty of five charges of assaulting the patient and convicted.
Facing deportation, he lodged an appeal with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal saying that his deportation would affect the social, emotional and general well-being of his four-year-old son.
Durani's wife, Falaq, also gave a statement saying that their son felt the absence of his father and asked every night before going to sleep: "Are we going to see daddy tomorrow?"
She said she was in a state of despair and if her husband was made to leave Australia permanently, it would be like her life ending.
The tribunal, in its ruling, said that cancellation of the visa would not be in the best interests of the child.
It also said that deporting the doctor would result in great emotional hardship for his wife for being deprived of her husband's companionship and support.
It also ruled that Durani was unlikely to commit any serious crime again.