Jayant Patel decides to give up fight against extradition

MELBOURNE: Indian surgeon Jayant Patel, accused of manslaughter charges in Australia, has decided to give up his fight against extradition from the US to Queensland, a report said on Thursday.
 
Patel, currently locked up in high security US prison since March 11, has agreed to drop his fight of extradition to Australia and now wants to confront the alleged crimes he is accused of committing while serving as director of surgery at Bundaberg Base Hospital in Queensland between 2003 and 2005.
 
He has been charged with 16 offences, including manslaughter, grievous bodily harm and fraud charges.
 
According to the AAP report, the move was filed in the US District Court in Portland, Oregon, by his American lawyer Marc Blackman.
 
It appeared that he would wage a lengthy court battle to avoid extradition to Australia and the case could have dragged on for years.
 
"Respondent (Patel) intends to consent to extradition to expedite his transfer to Australia," Blackman wrote in Thursday's filing motion.
 
"This consent reflects his willingness, desire and intent to confront the allegations on the merits. He now accepts that he must return to Australia to contest the allegations," he added.
 
Patel is also asking to be released from the Portland jail, the Multnomah County Detention Centre, ahead of his extradition to Australia.
 
He wants to live at his home in Portland with his wife Kishoree, while the details of his extradition are finalised.
 
Patel's lawyer said his client was willing to be monitored with a Global Positioning System unit.
 
"Respondent has confirmed that if released, he can be supervised by the Pretrial Services Office on the standard conditions of release and the special condition that he be monitored by a Global Positioning System unit," Blackman wrote.
 
"He seeks release to home confinement with allowance for pre-approved attendance at medical appointments, religious services and similar activities deemed reasonable and necessary by the Pretrial Services Office," he said.
 
"The Pretrial Services Office has confirmed that such monitoring is available and provides not only real-time monitoring of respondents' whereabouts, but exclusion from geographical areas. Home confinement using GPS monitoring provides not only real-time assurance of compliance with release conditions, but instantaneous notice of any deviation and respondents' precise location," he further wrote.