US citizen of Indian origin accused of raping minor seeks bail

A Delhi court has issued notice to the Centre on the bail plea of a US citizen of Indian origin, arrested at IGI Airport here minutes before boarding a flight to Bangkok to avoid his extradition to New York to stand trial for allegedly raping a minor there.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Amit Bansal issued notice to the Union government seeking its reply to New York-based Amit Mohan Singh's bail plea by November 3.

Singh has sought bail contending that the documents received by the Centre from USA for his extradition were incomplete and "not sufficient" to suggest that their was any evidence against him.

He said the documents received from the US seeking his extradition were devoid of any material evidence like medical records, statement of witnesses and others.

Singh, 30, who is in judicial custody here, was arrested on July 6 at the airport in response to a red corner notice issued against him at the request of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The court had earlier denied him bail in August this year saying allegations against him were of serious nature.

As per a letter written to the MEA by the US embassy here, Singh had acosted a 14-year-old girl on the street in Elmont in New York on March 11, 2009 and had dragged her into a house and raped her.

Singh is also wanted by the Supreme Court of Nassau County in the state of New York to stand trial on charge of rape, sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child (victim), the embassy document had said.

According to the US mission, he is also wanted for serving the remaining jail term in the US for violating the terms of probation after being convicted for "criminal possession" of controlled substances on December 21, 2007.