Dr Death's extradition deadline set for July 21

Melbourne, Jun 28: Controversial Indian-born surgeon Dr Jayant Patel bid for bail has failed. US District Court judge Dennis Hubel ruled against bail, but allowed Dr Patel the opportunity to leave Portland's Multnomah County Detention Centre under the guard of US Marshals to visit a Portland cardiologist.

Judge Hubel also warned Australian and US Government officials that if they did not transfer Dr Patel to Australia by July 21, the latter would be granted bail and allowed to reside at his house under home detention. Dr Patel had hoped to be freed on Friday, June 27. He has been held at the detention centre since his arrest on March 11. He hoped to be held in home detention at his million-dollar house in Portland, Oregon, until Australian Federal Police arrived to extradite him to Queensland.

The judge has been critical about the amount of time it has taken to charge and extradite Dr Patel, who is accused of committing 16 offences during his time as director of surgery at Queensland's Bundaberg Base Hospital between 2003 and 2005.

Dr Patel, 58, is accused of three counts of manslaughter related to alleged botched operations on patients at the hospital. He is also charged with fraud and grievous bodily harm offences, news.com.au reports.

On Thursday June 26, Dr Patel, with his legs shackled and three US Marshals guarding him, signed a "consent to extradition" form confirming he no longer wished to fight the Australian Government's attempt to fly him to Queensland to stand trial.

ANI