FBI offers $2.5 lakh for info on Indian who killed wife

PTI

New York, April 13

The FBI is now offering a reward of up to USD 2,50,000 for information leading to the arrest of a 33-year-old “extremely dangerous” Indian national who is wanted in the US for allegedly killing his wife in 2015. Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel, who was last known to be in the Newark area of New Jersey, is wanted for allegedly killing his wife Palak Patel by striking her multiple times with an object when they worked at a doughnut shop in Hanover, Maryland.

Patel is on the FBI’s list of ‘Ten Most Wanted Fugitives’ and the federal agency announced a reward of up to USD 250,000 for information leading to his arrest. Initially, the FBI had offered a USD 1,00,000 reward for information about Patel. Patel has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and dangerous weapons with intent to injure, the FBI said in a statement.

A federal arrest warrant was issued in the Maryland district court on April 20, 2015, after Patel was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. According to a 2017 FBI press release, Patel and his wife worked the night shift at the doughnut shop of one of his relatives. Investigators believe Patel killed his wife, who was 21 at the time, in a back room of the shop just before midnight on April 12, 2015.

According to the FBI, investigators theorise that Palak Patel wanted to return to India — their visas had expired the month before — and her husband was against the idea.

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