Indian doctor Jayant Patel's arrest imminent

MELBOURNE: The Queensland government in Australia is seeking details on the progress of the case against India-trained surgeon Jayant Patel, who is allegedly involved in the deaths of 17 patients, following reports that his arrest is imminent.

The formal extradition proceedings have begun in the US and the doctor will be arrested within weeks, News Limited's The Courier Mail newspaper reported on Friday.

Patel worked as director of surgery at Bundaberg Base Hospital in southeast Queensland before being named in state parliament and fleeing to the US in April 2005.

He has been linked to the deaths of 17 former patients at the hospital.

The US prosecutors are about to sign off on a request to have Patel extradited to face 16 charges including manslaughter and grievous bodily harm, it said.

A spokesman for Queensland Attorney-General Kerry Shine said Shine was seeking information on the case from the office of his federal counterpart.

"The attorney-general asked for information from the Commonwealth last week on where the case was, and was told that they were still going through the process and the next announcement the Commonwealth would be making was when there was an arrest," the spokesman said, adding, "They certainly haven't contacted our office to that effect."