The central government on Friday told the Delhi High Court that it has not taken any decision yet on the extradition of Catholic priest Rev Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul, accused of molesting a child in the US when he was there in 2004.
Jeyapaul, 59, challenged the order of a trial court here recommending his extradition to the US to stand trial there.
Hearing his plea, Justice Pratibha Rani asked the central government counsel to take further instructions on the issue.
The trial court recently said that a ‘prima facie’ case was made out for his extradition.
If extradited, Jeyapaul will stand trial on the charge of ‘first degree criminal sexual conduct’ in
Minnesota, USA.
The priest, a fugitive from US law, has been charged with molesting a 14-year-old girl in the US in 2004 when he was at a pastoral ministry at Roseau county of Crookston Diocese in Minnesota. The priest had allegedly met the girl at a youth conference in 2004, and abused her for nearly a year till he left for India on Aug 28, 2005, after which he maintained a low profile.
A year later in December 2006, the teenage victim filed a criminal complaint against him accusing him of sexual assault.
Jeyapaul, 59, challenged the order of a trial court here recommending his extradition to the US to stand trial there.
Hearing his plea, Justice Pratibha Rani asked the central government counsel to take further instructions on the issue.
The trial court recently said that a ‘prima facie’ case was made out for his extradition.
If extradited, Jeyapaul will stand trial on the charge of ‘first degree criminal sexual conduct’ in
Minnesota, USA.
The priest, a fugitive from US law, has been charged with molesting a 14-year-old girl in the US in 2004 when he was at a pastoral ministry at Roseau county of Crookston Diocese in Minnesota. The priest had allegedly met the girl at a youth conference in 2004, and abused her for nearly a year till he left for India on Aug 28, 2005, after which he maintained a low profile.
A year later in December 2006, the teenage victim filed a criminal complaint against him accusing him of sexual assault.