The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has increased the reward to up to $1 million for information leading to the arrest of fugitive Indian national Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel, accused of killing his wife at a Dunkin’ store in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, in 2015.
Patel, originally from Gujarat, India, was on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list and has been on the run for nearly 11 years after killing his wife, Palak Patel, at the store where they both worked.
Authorities announced Tuesday that the reward had been increased from $250,000 to $1 million. This is the standard reward amount currently offered to fugitives on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list.
“We hope the $1 million reward will bring more attention to our relentless search for Bhadreshkumar Patel and lead to the information we need to provide justice for Palak Patel, who was brutally murdered by her husband,” Jimmy Paul, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, told CBS News.
Investigators told CBS News the couple worked the night shift on April 12, 2015, at the Dunkin’ store located at 7567 Arundel Mills Boulevard in Hanover, Maryland.
Authorities said the couple had been arguing about Palak Patel’s wish to return to India. She was on the phone with her family when the disagreement became more intense.
“Bhadreshkumar Patel was very agitated and upset that evening,” FBI Special Agent Jonathan Shaffer told CBS News. “While Palak was on the phone with her family, they entered the back room of Dunkin’ Donuts and brutally murdered her,” he added.
Police said Patel stabbed his wife several times before running her out of the store.
Investigators said Patel walked to a nearby apartment where he lived with his wife, grabbed his belongings and cash and later called a taxi.
The taxi driver took him to a hotel near Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, and he checked in around 3 a.m. without any luggage. Authorities said he checked out late that morning and took a shuttle to Newark Penn Station, where he was last seen.
Since then, investigators said they have followed up on hundreds of leads.
“In the meantime, numerous interviews were conducted with family members and members of the public,” Shaffer said. “We’ve had a ton of tips coming in. We’ve got well over 300 now.”
Anne Arundel County Police Department investigators said Palak Patel, who was 21 years old at the time of his death, had hoped to become a teacher.
“From what I understand, she loved children and wanted to go into that field,” Anne Arundel County Police Detective Vincent Carbonaro told CBS News. “Her family misses her dearly. We want to do our best to get Bhadreshkumar in custody and bring justice to Palak.”
Investigators said the public can play an important role in finding suspects.
“Right now, we need people who know who they are and where they are and will call us,” Shaffer said.
Patel was added to the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list in April 2017, making him the 514th person on the list. According to the FBI, since the list was compiled in 1950, 538 fugitives have been identified and 500 have been apprehended or located, mostly through tips from the public.
Authorities warned that Patel should be considered armed and extremely dangerous and urged anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact the FBI rather than approach him.
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