From News Dispatches
T
he FBI is offering a $20,000
reward for information
leading to the arrest of
Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai
Patel of Maryland, who is
accused of allegedly beating his
wife to death inside a fast food
chain where they both worked.
Twenty-one-year-old Palak
Patel was found dead inside a
Dunkin Donuts in Hanover,
Maryland, April 12. Further
investigation revealed that Palak
Patel’s husband hit her in the
face with a kitchen knife and
then fled.
Police said evidence collected
at the scene linked the crime to
Bhadreshkumar Patel, and that
the crime was not random.
Police toldWBTAL TV that they
were interviewing several wit-
nesses and they believe that the
homicide was domestic-related.
Bhadreshkumar Patel, 24,
faces a federal charge of fleeing
to avoid prosecu-
tion, as well as first-
degree murder, sec-
ond-degree murder,
first-degree assault,
second-degree
assault, as well as
dangerous weapon
with intent to
injure, an
announcement on
the FBI website
says.
Investigators
believe
Bhadreshkumar
Patel fled to New
Jersey to escape
state charges, but they believe
he is still in the United States.
A taxi driver told investigators
that he picked up Patel on April
12 across from the Dunkin’
Donuts and drove him to a Best
Western in Newark, New Jersey,
approximately 185 miles away,
WBTAL TV reported. Patel, who
was born in India, was in the
United States legally, but his visa
expired in March 2015.
However, there is no evi-
dence that Bhadreshkumar Patel
boarded a plane; the FBI has put
a hold on his passport, prevent-
ing him from crossing the bor-
der.
The FBI plans to put up bill-
boards to help locate Patel, who
is described as weighing approx-
imately 165lb and 5ft 9in tall
with brown eyes and hair. He is
considered to be dangerous.
– that’s all you need to know
Community
News India Times
May 1, 2015
8
Educational Lineup for Physicians’ June Convention
By a Staff Writer
ndian-American physi-
cians are geared up to cel-
ebrate their achievements
at the 33rd annual con-
vention of the American
Association of Physicians of
Indian Origin, scheduled to be
held June 17-21 in Orlando,
Florida. They have secured the
keynote speaker, “America’s
Doctor,” the recently sworn-in,
youngest ever Surgeon General
of the United States Vivek
Murthy, 37. They also have an
exciting line-up of entertainers,
AAPI President Ravi Jahagirdar
and Convention Chair Amish
Parikh told News India Times.
Other heavy hitters who will be
speaking at the convention
include U.S. Attorney for the
Southern District of NewYork
Preet Bharara, as well as
Secretary General of the Indian
Medical Association Narendra
Saini, and Dr. Jayshree Mehta,
president of the Medical Council
of India.
Among the entertainers who
have committed to the conven-
tion are Monalee Thakur on
Friday night, June 19, and Sonu
Nigam on Saturday, June 20, Dr.
Parikh said. They are hoping to
corral a heavy hitter for the AAPI
Charitable Foundation gala
night but refused to reveal the
name until it is finalized.
The theme of this year’s con-
vention’s is “Generations Many,
Mission One,” and going by that,
organizers have made sure to
put younger physicians and
medical students in charge of
several activities and seminars.
For starters, Dr. Parikh, 46, a
Central Florida cardiologist, is
the youngest convention chair
to date to lead the “2015 AAPI
Annual Convention & Scientific
Assembly” which will be held at
Seaworld Orlando.
“The focus of this convention
is to set up a system for the next
generation of physicians and
work together across the more
than 50 years that Indian physi-
cians have come to this coun-
try,” Parikh told News India
Times.
For all its emphasis on enter-
tainment, Dr. Jahagirdar said,
“The essence of AAPI is educa-
tional.” That translates into
numerous Continuing Medical
Education and non-CME semi-
nars by experts in their fields.
Also, an impressive Exhibition
Hall where vendors and services
will be offered to physicians
around the country. Two forums
focus heavily on the younger
generation of physicians,
“Political Advocacy:Why
Participate” and “Leadership
and Mentorship,” Parikh said.
“More than 50 percent of the
committee chairs are two gener-
ations younger than me. And
more than 50 percent are
women,” Dr. Jahagirdar told
News India Times.
As is done every year, several
physicians will be recognized for
their professional and philan-
thropic contributions.
Convention attendees will
also get to know what AAPI has
been up to on the ground in
India, particularly the “Trauma
& Brain Injury Initiative,” and
the “Hepatitis Initiative.” There
will be an update on the U.S.-
based diabetes and obesity ini-
tiatives.
In its obesity outreach pro-
gram, AAPI has already enrolled
61 partner schools. The organiz-
ers also hope to establish several
“Clinical Networks” by the end
of the convention linking
experts in their fields with those
just beginning to specialize. For
the first time a “Men’s Forum”
will be held apart from the
annual “Women’s Forum.”
Subjects like prostate cancer, the
incidence of which is similar to
breast cancer among women, as
well as hormonal decline among
men, will be discussed. And a
diabetes diagnosis center would
be operating during the conven-
tion at the site. “The worst thing
about Indian genetics is dia-
betes,” Jahagirdar said explain-
ing the rationale behind featur-
ing a diagnostic center at the
convention.
“The objective is to provide a
complete experience - from
state-of-the-art lectures to leg-
islative advocacy, and entertain-
ment,” Parikh said. Around 1,400
to 1,600 attendees are expected.
The physicians’ organization
has many achievements to its
credit this year alone. During the
last September visit of Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
to this country, Dr. Jahagirdar
said AAPI played a leading role
in making it a success. Indian-
American physicians lobbied
hard for the U.S. Senate to con-
firm the nomination of Murthy
as Surgeon General.
“That was more a fight
against injustice with the
National Rifle Association
ranged against him. It was a
David and Goliath story but we
won,” Dr. Jahagirdar said. On
March 30, the U.S. Congress
started the process of passing
legislation repealing Medicare
Sustainable Growth Rate or SGR,
a major demand of AAPI which
has lobbied for its end as it has
for issues such as physician
shortage, J-1 visa waiver pro-
gram, immigration reform. At
one of its most historic Capitol
Hill annual legislative day’s this
March, two dozen lawmakers
showed up to praise the AAPI’s
work and the contributions of
Indian-American physicians. In
mid April, two lawmakers, Reps.
Grace Meng, D-NY, and Tom
Emmer, R-Minnesota, intro-
duced legislation urging the
State Department to expedite
processing of J-1 visas in coun-
tries like India and Pakistan.
They contended that the back-
log was hindering bringing
skilled physicians to this country
to overcome the shortage in
underserved communities in
this country.
AAPI Convention Chair Dr. Amish Parikh.
AAPI President Ravi Jahagirdar
I
FBI Offers $20,000 Reward for MarylandMurder Suspect
