Indian doctor starts campaign to prevent Jayant Patel's extradition

MELBOURNE: With Australia seeking the extradition of India-born US surgeon Jayant Patel, charged with multiple manslaughter, one of his batchmates has started a campaign to prevent the doctor's deportation.

Vijay Mehta, a surgeon settled in Texas, is trying to persuade the US doctors, celebrity talk show hosts, justice authorities, journalists and lobby groups that Patel cannot receive a fair criminal trial in Queensland, according to a report in 'The Australian' newspaper.

Australian authorities want Patel to face charges in Queensland relating to 17 deaths that occurred during his two years as director of surgery at Bundaberg Hospital.

Both Patel and Mehta grew up in the same town in India, went to the same medical college in Gujarat and received their first lessons in surgery from the same mentors.

"The Queensland Government can fall and rise on this man," Mehta said from his home in Temple, Texas.

"He is like Australia's O J Simpson. There is no way your jurors are going to find him not guilty. He cannot get justice. I'm not in favour of Dr Patel. These people get high by performing the really complex surgery. They really think they are doing the patients a favour.

Mehta redoubled his efforts earlier this year after his website, in which he asks "Can he get a fair trial?", was visited by Patel's wife, Kishoree, a medical practitioner who went to the same college in the Indian town of Jamnagar in Gujarat.