Melbourne, Nov 3 : Dr Jayant Patel, the Indian-born surgeon accused of murdering 17 patients at a hospital in Queensland, will fight extradition to Australia, sparking a legal battle in the US court system that could last more than four years.

Dr Vijay Mehta, a senior Texas-based surgeon who has defended Dr Patel in the press, said that his friend was preparing for a long court battle.

"He is going to fight the extradition," Dr Mehta, the chief of vascular and thoracic surgery at a Texan hospital, said.

"Dr Patel doesn't want to go to Australia because he doesn't think he will get a fair trial. He thinks the system there is biased and they have already made up their mind," said Dr Mehta.

"Dr Patel would rather be in an American jail than an Australian jail," Dr Mehta said.

"Dr Patel said that Australians have already made up their mind'," Dr Mehta said.

"If a judge goes (finds) in favour with Dr Patel, the judge will get into trouble."

Dr Mehta pointed to the case of another Indian doctor in Australia, Mohamed Haneef, who in July was accused of supporting a terrorist organisation, but had the charge dropped by authorities.

Dr Patel's defiant stance came as formal extradition proceedings began in the US.

It is expected that Dr Patel, who lives in Portland, Oregon, in America's northwest, will be arrested by US Marshals once the final paperwork is completed between Australian and US authorities.

The arrest could come before Christmas, The Australian reported.

If Dr Patel is arrested and fights extradition, he could be housed in a US jail until American courts deal with his case.

Indian-trained Dr Patel has been linked to the deaths of 17 former patients at Bundaberg Base Hospital in southeast Queensland.

He worked as Director of Surgery at the hospital before being named in state parliament and fleeing to Oregon in April 2005.

The extradition request is understood to relate to 16 charges including manslaughter and grievous bodily harm. (ANI)