US Fugitive Cleared of Extradition Charges to Indonesia

A Delhi court has ruled that US citizen Randall John Cafferty cannot be extradited to Indonesia. Cafferty was accused of causing death through medical negligence, but the court found no 'prima facie' case against him. The court highlighted procedural lapses and an incomplete investigation by Indonesian authorities.

A Delhi court has ruled in favor of Randall John Cafferty, a US citizen charged with medical negligence resulting in death, asserting no prima facie case exists for his extradition to Indonesia. The ruling comes after an extradition request was submitted by Indonesia in October 2017.

Cafferty was initially apprehended at Bengaluru Airport under a Red Corner Notice and incarcerated in Tihar prison before being granted bail by the Delhi High Court in 2018. The latest ruling by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Pranav Joshi highlights key procedural lapses in the case.

The court emphasized discrepancies in the investigation, noting the victim's death occurred in a Jakarta hospital. Despite this, the Indonesian authorities failed to explore negligence on the hospital's part. Furthermore, the forensic report did not link the chiropractor's actions to the death, raising questions over the legitimacy of the extradition request.

(With inputs from agencies.)