Extradite rape accused to Australia, Indian government told

New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) A court here has asked the central government to extradite an Indian national to Australia to face trial in a rape case.

Jaswinder Singh Mutta has been charged with raping a girl in Australia's Victoria state in 2010.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Amit Bansal Friday asked the government to extradite Mutta after the accused told the court that he was ready to face trial in Australia.

Mutta voluntarily stated to the court that he had no objection if he was being extradited.

"I hereby recommend to Union of India the extradition of the fugitive criminal Jaswinder Singh Mutta to the requesting state i.e. Australia," said Bansal.

The order came after government, through its counsel Naveen Kumar Matta, approached the court and placed a letter written by Australian High Commission to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The Australian High Commission, in its letter dated Aug 10, 2011, had urged the ministry to extradite Mutta.

The high commission had stated that Mutta had been charged with rape, an offence that is punishable with up to 25 years in jail.

Mutta had allegedly raped and assaulted a girl at Fitzroy North in Victoria Jan 17, 2010, documents attached to the extradition request said.

Mutta had surrendered to the police on Jan 5, 2011, in Punjab's Moga dsitrict after a warrant was issued against him by the court here.

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