The Delhi High Court today dismissed as "premature" the plea challenging a trial court order recommending extradition to the USA of Indian Catholic priest Rev Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in that country during his stay in 2004.
Justice Pratibha Rani rejected Jeyapaul's plea after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) submitted that the government has not passed any order for extraditing him to the US.
The submission was made before the court by an MEA official, after which the court dismissed the plea as being premature.
On September 12, the high court had refused to stay the trial court's order.
It had also called for a status report from the Centre on whether the trial court's recommendation has been accepted.
Jeyapaul, 59, had challenged the order of the trial court here recommending that he be extradited to the US to stand trial there for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor there.
The MEA had recently moved the trial court saying a request was received from the US in February, 2011 seeking extradition of Jeyapaul to stand trial in the case.
The trial court had said that "prima facie" a case was made out for his extradition. If extradited, Jeyapaul will stand trial on the charge of a "first degree criminal sexual conduct" in Minnesota, USA.
