Bio

Kaushik Jayantibhai Patel was born on October 7, 1973, in India. He grew up in the state of Gujarat. In 1992, at the age of 19, he moved to the United States. 

After moving to the U.S., Kaushik married his wife, Nishaben Patel, in 1997 through an arranged marriage. It took two years for Nishaben to receive her visa to join him in the U.S. Together, they settled in the Chicago area. Kaushik found work and began to build a life with his family.

The couple initially had a good relationship, which Kaushik described as "first-class." However, things changed when Nishaben's mother came to live with them three years later. Kaushik later reported that after her arrival, he felt increasingly criticized by his wife and mother-in-law. He said he felt like he was facing harassment and expressed feelings of being overwhelmed by family issues.

Before the tragic events that changed his life, Kaushik experienced rising stress in his personal life. He spoke about difficulties in communicating with his wife, who he felt sided with her mother in conflicts. He claimed that this situation deeply affected him. Despite these challenges, his life centered around his family, including his two young sons, Vishv and Om.

Murder Story

On November 18, 2007, Kaushik Jayantibhai Patel committed a terrible act against his two sons, Vishv, who was 7 years old, and Om, who was 4 years old. That day, he took both boys to buy toys. Afterward, Patel purchased gasoline. He returned home and told the boys to get into the bathroom.

Patel poured gasoline over the boys while they were in a bathtub. He then lit a flame that ignited the gasoline. Both children suffered severe burns from the incident. After the fire, Patel took the boys in his car to a relative's house nearby. A family member there called the police.

Both boys were taken to a hospital for severe burn treatment. Tragically, Om died from his injuries on January 17, 2008. Vishv passed away about a month later, on February 19, 2008. During his recovery, Vishv told his mother how their father had poured gasoline on him and his brother before lighting the fire.

Kaushik Patel was arrested on the same day of the incident. He later pleaded guilty to the charges against him. On May 18, 2010, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. The court decision took into account the wishes of the boys’ mother, who did not want the death penalty for him.