Indian-American Kash Patel took oath as the ninth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on February 22, becoming the first person of Indian and Asian descent to lead the agency.

The staunch Donald Trump ally took the oath on a copy of the Bhagavad Gita at Washington’s Indian Treaty Room, with his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, 26, holding the sacred text. 

1. Indian Connection

Patel, born Kashyap Pramod Vinod Patel, is the son of Gujarati parents who fled Uganda during ethnic repression, migrated to Canada, and later settled in New York.

2. Narrow Senate Confirmation

Two Republican senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, opposed his nomination, citing concerns over his partisan reputation, and his confirmation passed narrowly in the Senate (51-49).

3. Early Legal Career

He began as a public defender, handling murder, drug trafficking, and financial crime cases before transitioning to counterterrorism roles.

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4. Counterterrorism Credentials

As a Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutor, he led investigations against Al-Qaeda and ISIS operatives and served as a liaison to elite military units.