India-born surgeon Jayant Patel, who returned to Australia from the US to face manslaughter and other charges in the deaths of over a dozen patients, was granted a conditional bail on Monday by a court in Brisbane. The 58-year-old US citizen, dubbed as 'Dr Death' by the Australian media, will be released on Tuesday morning after he was given bail by magistrate Brian Hine on a surety of 20,000 Australian dollars.
Patel has been asked to surrender his passport, report to police three times a week, not to approach any international departure points, live at a place approved by the director of public prosecutions and reside in Queensland.
Earlier in the day, Patel arrived in the capital of Queensland from Los Angeles in a Qantas Airways flight, escorted by Australian police officers and was taken to a police watchhouse before being produced in the court.
Patel, who hails from Gujarat, is facing 13 charges, including manslaughter for the death of three of his patients, stemming from his time as director of surgery at the Bundaberg Base Hospital in Queensland from 2003 to 2005. If convicted, he could get a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
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