The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced a reward of up to $250,000 for information that leads to the arrest of Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel, one of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. Patel is wanted for the alleged murder of his wife, which occurred while they were both employed at a donut shop in Hanover, Maryland, on April 12, 2015.
Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel, a Gujarati man, has been on the FBI's 'Most Wanted' list since 2017. Patel, who hails from Viramgam in Ahmedabad, is sought by authorities for the alleged murder of his wife, Palak, in 2015. The incident took place inside a Dunkin Donuts coffee shop in Hanover, Maryland, where both Patel and his wife were employed. Reports indicate that Patel, then 24 years old, assaulted his 21-year-old wife by hitting her in the face with a kitchen knife and stabbing her multiple times in the backroom of the shop, even as customers were present.
During April 2015, Patel, aged 24 at the time, and his wife Palak, aged 21, were on duty during the night shift at the Dunkin’ Donuts store. CCTV footage from the night of the incident captured Bhadresh and Palak walking together toward the store’s kitchen area before vanishing behind the racks.
Patel faced a slew of charges including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and possession of a dangerous weapon with intent to injure. Following these charges, a federal arrest warrant was issued by the United States District Court, District of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, on April 20, 2015, subsequent to Patel being charged with unlawful flight to evade prosecution.