FBI's new director Kash Patel's ancestry traces back to a village in Gujarat's Anand: All you need to know

Indian-American Kash Patel, recently confirmed by the US Senate as the new Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has deep roots in Gujarat’s Anand district.

His family hails from Bhadran village, where they lived for generations before migrating to Uganda around 70 to 80 years ago. Patel, 44, who was born in New York, has become the first Indian-American to lead the FBI, marking a historic moment for both the law enforcement agency and the Patidar community.

Leaders of the Patidar community, to which Patel belongs, shared details about his family’s migration history.


According to Rajesh Patel, Secretary of the Chh Gam Patidar Mandal in Anand, Kash Patel’s family sold their ancestral homes in Bhadran before moving to Uganda.

The organisation, which tracks the family trees of its members, keeps detailed records of Kash Patel’s ancestors, including his father Pramod Patel and his grandfather, as part of their 'vanshavali' or family genealogy.

“We have records of 18 generations of his family, and while Kash's name has not been added yet, it will be once we receive permission from his family to include the next generation," Rajesh Patel explained.

Patel's family, like many others, was among those expelled from Uganda in 1972 by dictator Idi Amin, who ordered the Indian community to leave. After a brief stay in India, the family applied for asylum in the UK, US, and Canada.

Eventually, they settled in Canada before moving to the United States, where Kash Patel was born in 1980. The new FBI chief's professional background includes serving as Chief of Staff to Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller, where he was instrumental in overseeing the Department of Defense’s operations.

A trained lawyer, Patel’s academic journey includes earning his law degree from the University of New York and a Certificate in International Law from University College London. Outside of his career, Patel is an avid ice-hockey fan, a sport he has enjoyed since childhood.

(With inputs from PTI)