Indian-origin hotel owners arrested in US for hiding two fugitives

Dakshaben Patel and Harshil Patel, who own the Super 8 and Mountain Inn in Monteagle lied to police about the whereabouts of wanted individuals during an investigation on July 18.

New York: Two Indian-origin hotel owners in the US state of Tennessee have been arrested in the US for allegedly lying to the police about the whereabouts of two fugitives who were hiding inside their building, according to media reports.

Dakshaben Patel and Harshil Patel, who own the Super 8 and Mountain Inn in Monteagle, were arrested on Tuesday, Fox News reported.

They allegedly lied to police about the whereabouts of wanted individuals during an investigation on July 18, the Monteagle Police Department said.

Two officers had been conducting surveillance on the rear of the hotel due to 'high drug transition' in the area and spotted two individuals on a balcony, police said. The officers identified the individuals as having felony warrants out of Franklin County.

Investigators later found that the hotel had a "hide-out room on the corner of the building" and determined that was where the fugitives had been living, police said.

"Both Patel subjects had been advised multiple times about the wanted suspects and had lied to officers about their residence at the hotel," the department said.

Dakshaben and Harshil were each charged with making false reports to police officers, a felony.