The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the US has listed Bhadresh Patel, a 33-year-old Gujarati, as one of its 10 most wanted fugitives. The FBI officials have been tirelessly pursuing Patel since he went underground in 2015 after brutally stabbing his wife Palak, who was 21 then, to death.
New information indicates that Patel received assistance from a human smuggler of Punjabi ancestry who lives in the US to depart America, changing the troubling circumstances of the case in an unexpected direction. This same facilitator had helped alleged human smuggler Bharat Patel, alias Bobby, in illegally trafficking Gujaratis into the US.
Sources in the local community and police believe Patel first sought refuge with his relatives in Ecuador before illegally entering Canada. Insiders from the local community shed light on Bhadresh Patel’s background. According to sources, Bhadresh, a native of of Viramgam, and his wife had immigrated to the US in 2014 and had settled in Hanover, Maryland.
“The couple lived in Ecuador for a while before arriving in the US on a visitor’s visa. They lived in a hideout and worked there. Their visa expired in March 2015, but they stayed in the US illegally,” said a source. During their turbulent stay in America, trouble brewed in their relationship. According to information obtained through various police departments, Palak expressed a desire to return to India, sparking frequent arguments between the couple.
On April 12, 2015, an altercation on the issue escalated into a violent confrontation. “Bhadresh used a knife to slash Palak’s face, then stabbed her multiple times at the café they worked in,” said a source. An FBI document reads, “On April 13, 2015, Patel was charged with first-degree murder, second degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and possession of a dangerous weapon with intent to harm.”
