The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has increased the reward up to a maximum of one million dollars to information that will see the arrest of Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel, who is an Indian national accused of killing his wife in the United States in 2015. On Tuesday, authorities announced that the reward is now a one million dollar from $250,000 , which is the new normal amount of dollars the FBI awards to fugitives on the FBI Ten Most Wanted list. Patel has been on the run for almost 11 years since he killed his wife, Palak Patel at the Dunkin store where he and his wife worked in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Hopefully, the increased reward would lead to new leads and could lead to closure of the family of the victim.
Who Is Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel? Indian Fugitive Accused Of Killing Wife In US In 2015
Investigators state that the crime occurred on April 12, 2015, night when the couple was on a shift at the Dunkin’ outlet in Hanover, Maryland. The police report indicates that Patel stormed his wife and hit her several times in the kitchen section of the store killing her in the presence of other customers in the establishment.
The #FBI now offers a reward of up to $1,000,000 for information leading to the arrest of Ten Most Wanted Fugitive Bhadreshkumar Patel, wanted for allegedly killing his wife at a donut shop in Hanover, Maryland, on April 12, 2015: https://t.co/tCZ0Fde7WQ pic.twitter.com/en5jYcfpJG
— FBI Most Wanted (@FBIMostWanted) March 10, 2026
CCTV videos allegedly showed the couple walking back to the store and going out of sight. One of the customers was later suspicious because no employee seemed to come and take his order and called the police. Officers found the body of Palak Patel in the kitchen when they arrived. The investigators suspect that the couple had been quarrelling that night allegedly because Palak had wanted to go back to India.
Where Is Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel?
Following the murder, the police claim that Patel left the crime scene and went back to the apartment that the couple shared but this time he took belongings and cash before departing. Police report that he then went by taxi to a hotel by the Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, where he registered his name in the hotel at the time of 3 AM and then left the hotel without any luggage later that morning. He was spotted getting into a shuttle to the Newark Penn Station. Throughout the years, investigators have pursued hundreds of leads and tips yet the whereabouts of Patel still remain unknown. Authorities state that social help might be essential in finding him and thus delivering justice to Palak Patel who had apparently aspired to be a teacher.
