Kaushik Patel pleaded not guilty Monday to murdering his two young sons by dousing them with gasoline and setting them on fire in the bathroom of their Glendale Heights home Nov. 18.
Patel, 34, a native of India, used an interpreter as he entered his plea to charges of murder and aggravated battery of a child for Om, 4, who died Jan. 17, and Vishv, 7, who died last month.
Patel has said he was trying to commit suicide by dousing himself with gasoline when the two boys ran into the bathroom and were splashed by accident. He said he doesn’t remember lighting the fire that burned his sons and himself.
The boys lingered in the burn unit at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood before succumbing to their injuries. Their father also was treated at the hospital until he was released last month and immediately transferred to the DuPage County Jail. His bail was set at $10 million cash.
Patel’s head and his bandaged arms still bear the effects of severe burns, but he needed no assistance Monday as he walked into the Wheaton courtroom of DuPage Circuit Judge Kathryn Creswell.
Assistant State’s Attys. Alex McGimpsey and Liam Brennan gave Assistant Public Defender Michael Mara four videotapes and five audiotapes of interviews between the defendant and Glendale Heights police to use in preparing his defense.
Creswell set May 13 for the next court hearing.
