Authorities in the US have charged an India-born married man with slipping his girlfriend an abortion drug that caused her to miscarry twice.
US authorities charged Manish Patel after doctor girlfriend got suspicious
APPLETON(Wisconsin): Authorities in the US have charged an India-born married man with slipping his girlfriend an abortion drug that caused her to miscarry twice.
Manish Kumar Patel, 34, was charged on Thursday with seven felonies and two misdemeanors, including attempted first degree murder of an unborn child, stalking, burglary and two counts of violating a restraining order. His attorney said he expected Patel to plead not guilty.
Manish and his girlfriend, 39-year-old family physician Darshana Patel, have a 3-year-old child together, authorities said. He is married to someone else. Darshana became pregnant two more times but miscarried, Outagamie County sheriff’s Capt. Michael Jobe said.
A week or two before her second miscarriage, Manish bought her a smoothie, Sheriff’s Sgt. Ryan Carpenter said. Darshana noticed white powder on the rim and, feigning illness, took the drink back to her office.
Suspecting she had been slipped mifespristone, the abortion pill also known as RU 486, Darshana sent a sample of the smoothie to a California lab for analysis, Carpenter said. When it tested positive for the drug, she approached the sheriff’s department. Manish was arrested on Wednesday.
Court Commissioner Brian Figy ordered Manish held on $750,000 bail after prosecutor Mark Schroeder said he had a net worth of $400,000 and investigators found evidence he had been looking at flights to Germany.
A legal immigrant from India, Manish owns gas stations and other businesses, Carpenter said.
Wisconsin is one of 37 states with a fetal homicide law, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Under the 1998 law, anyone who attacks a pregnant woman and injures or kills her foetus could face life in prison.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}