Considered as one of the biggest ever simultaneous chases in the US and India, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been hunting for Indian fugitive Bhadresh Kumar Patel since 2017.
Patel, a 26-year-old from Viramgam, Gujarat, is wanted for the murder of his wife in Maryland back in April 2015. His name has now been added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, with a reward of up to $250,000 being offered for any information leading to his arrest.
Described by the FBI as a cold-blooded murderer and an "extremely dangerous" criminal, Patel allegedly killed his young wife at a Dunkin' Donuts store in Hanover, Maryland, in a bizarre manner.
Patel's wife wanted to return to India which was one of the reasons for the tiff between the couple.
According to reports, Patel struck his wife multiple times with an object, leading to her tragic demise. Following the murder, a local arrest warrant was issued in the District Court of Maryland for Anne Arundel County on April 13, 2015, charging Patel with first-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and dangerous weapon with intent to injure.
Not just murder, Patel also illegally entered Canada via human smugglers of Indian origin.
Subsequently, a federal arrest warrant was issued in the United States District Court, District of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, on April 20, 2015, after Patel was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
Since the crime took place, Patel has managed to evade capture and has not been seen since. In 2017, he was included for the first time in the FBI's list of top 10 most wanted fugitives, marking the seriousness and urgency of the search. The FBI has stated that Patel is wanted for first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, dangerous weapon with intent to injure, and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
It is believed that Patel was last known to be in the Newark, New Jersey, area. The FBI, along with law enforcement agencies in both the United States and India, continues to investigate leads and pursue all possible avenues in their relentless pursuit of the fugitive.