28-year-old Schizophrenic Indian-origin man kills father with sledgehammer in US, calls murder ‘religious duty’ because he was abused

At the time of the incident, Abhijit was legally not allowed to contact his father. This restriction was in place because he had earlier made threats to kill him.

Dec 18, 2025 - 02:00

28-year-old Schizophrenic Indian-origin man kills father with sledgehammer in US, calls murder ‘religious duty’ because he was abused

A 28-year-old man of India(BHARAT)n origin has been arrested in the US state of Illinois for killing his father during the Thanksgiving weekend. Police said the accused, Abhijit Patel, attacked his 67-year-old father, Anupam Patel, with a sledgehammer on November 29 at their family home. When officers reached the house, Anupam Patel was found lying unresponsive in his bedroom with serious head injuries. He was later declared dead. A sledgehammer was found near the bed.

Abhijit Patel later turned himself in to the police. During court proceedings, it was revealed that he has a history of mental health problems. He had earlier been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had received hospital treatment in the past.

At the time of the incident, Abhijit was legally not allowed to contact his father. This restriction was in place because he had earlier made threats to kill him.

After his arrest, Abhijit told police that he believed he had a religious reason to kill his father. He also claimed that his father had abused him when he was a child.

According to reports, Anupam Patel was diabetic. His wife regularly monitored his blood sugar levels through a mobile app. Every morning, Anupam would send her his readings, but on the day of the incident, she did not receive any update, which raised concern.

On the day of murder

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On the day of the killing, Anupam Patel’s wife left for work at around 5:42 am. At that time, only Anupam and his son, Abhijit Patel, were at home.

Every morning, Anupam usually called his wife around 8 am to share his blood sugar reading. On that day, he did not call. While at work, his wife became worried when she saw through an app that her husband’s glucose level was falling. She tried calling him, but no one answered.

Concerned, she returned home. There, she met her son, who told her to go and check on his father. He reportedly said, “I have taken care of him.”

In court, officials said Abhijit Patel had shown disturbing behaviour in the past. Because of this, he was earlier banned from his university campus. In November 2024, he allegedly posted alarming messages on social media and in group chats with fellow students at University of Illinois Chicago. Following this, he was barred from entering the campus until he was examined by a psychiatrist.

Confession to the crime

During police questioning, Abhijit told officers that he believed it was his “religious duty” to kill his father. He claimed his father had abused him during childhood. He also admitted that he was under medical treatment, and doctors later said these claims were believed to be delusional.

Official records show that Abhijit Patel had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had earlier been hospitalised for treatment.