How Did Bhadresh Kumar Patel From Gujarat Become One Of FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives?
An illegal immigrant from Gujarat who has been on the run since 2015 is among the US’s Top 10 most wanted fugitives by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel (Bhadresh Patel) from Viramgam, Gujarat, has been among the most wanted criminals in the US since 2017 for the alleged murder of his wife, Palak Patel.
Who is Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel?
According to a report by The Times of India, Bhadresh and Palak had gone to the US in 2014 on a visiting visa and started working at a Dunkin’ Donuts in Hanover, Maryland, which a relative owned.
The couple continued to stay illegally in the US even after their visiting visas expired.
Patel, then 24 years old, was last seen on April 12, 2015, at the store where the couple had been working.
He disappeared moments before police found the body of Palak in a pool of blood in the store.
The 21-year-old was beaten to death and stabbed multiple times with a large kitchen knife.
Killed wife for wanting to return to India
It is believed that the couple had fought over returning to India, which led to the shocking murder.
Palak reportedly wanted to return to India, while Patel wished to stay in the US itself.
On the fateful day, CCTV visuals from the doughnut shop showed the couple working in the kitchen. They then disappeared behind the racks.
Moments later, Patel comes out in a hurry and leaves the store.
The murder came to light after a customer who couldn’t see any employees at the store reported the matter to the police.
The police found the body of Palak with multiple stab injuries, but by this time, Patel was nowhere to be seen.
After the murder, Patel returned to his apartment and left in a cab with some documents.
The last known location of Patel was Newark Penn Station in New Jersey on April 13, 2015.
It is believed that Patel fled the US with the help of human traffickers and could have gone to Canada or Ecuador, where he had relatives.
Most wanted since 2017
Patel has not been seen since, and in 2017 for the first time, the FBI listed him among the top 10 most wanted fugitives.
According to the FBI, Patel is wanted for first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and dangerous weapon with intent to injure, along with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
