Highlights:
-
FBI offers $50,000 reward for information leading to arrest or conviction
-
Indian national Nazeer Hameed charged with killing a mother and her child in 2017
-
FBI says suspect returned to India months after the crime
-
U.S. officials formally request extradition from India
- Advertisement - -
DNA evidence links suspect to the crime scene, authorities say
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Nazeer Hameed, an Indian national accused of murdering Sasikala Narra and her six-year-old son, Anish Narra, inside their New Jersey apartment in 2017.
The FBI says Hameed is currently believed to be in India and is urging Indian authorities to cooperate with U.S. officials to secure his extradition. A state arrest warrant has been issued, and Hameed is now listed on the FBI’s Most Wanted platform.
Hameed, now 38, was formally charged in February this year with two counts of First Degree Murder, two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon. Prosecutors allege he killed the victims inside their apartment in Maple Shade, New Jersey, in March 2017.
FBI Says Suspect Returned to India After the Murders
Authorities said Hameed returned to India approximately six months after the killings and has remained there since. According to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office (BCPO), investigators later identified him as a person of interest after uncovering evidence that he had been stalking Hanumanth Narra, the husband and father of the victims.
Hameed lived in the same apartment complex as the Narra family and worked at the same IT company as Hanumanth Narra, according to investigators.
Officials said the exact motive for the killings has not been definitively established. The priority now, they said, is to bring Hameed back to the United States to face prosecution.
FBI-Linked Extradition Push Involves New Jersey Governor
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy confirmed that he made a direct diplomatic appeal to Indian officials. He said last week that he “called and sent a letter” to Indian Ambassador to the U.S. Vinay Kwatra, requesting assistance from the Government of India to extradite Hameed.
Murphy said the killings deeply affected the state, adding that the “heinous crime shocked” New Jersey. He said the state stands ready to work with the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, as well as the Justice Department, State Department, and the FBI “to facilitate the extradition process in accordance with both Indian law and the terms of our bilateral treaty.”
Murphy also conveyed his “profound gratitude” to Kwatra for his “prompt attention to this matter and for the continued partnership between our governments.”
FBI-Backed Investigation Details the 2017 Killings
According to the BCPO statement, police officers from the Maple Shade Police Department were called to the apartment on the evening of March 23, 2017, after the bodies of Sasikala and Anish Narra were discovered inside their home.
An autopsy determined both victims died from multiple slash wounds to their necks. Investigators said Anish Narra was nearly decapitated, and both victims showed several defensive wounds.
Police Chief Christopher Fletcher described the crime scene in stark terms. “The scene that day was unimaginable,” Fletcher said.
“Those who responded saw the carnage of a mother and her young child who spent their final moments fighting for their lives.”
Authorities said the announcement of charges against Hameed was delayed for years as investigators continued gathering evidence and worked with federal agencies, including the FBI, to pursue extradition.
FBI DNA Evidence Links Hameed to the Crime Scene
The BCPO said a breakthrough came through DNA analysis of physical evidence collected at the crime scene. Investigators identified a tiny droplet of blood that did not match either victim. Later testing showed the blood matched a male with Central Asian ancestry and matched Hameed’s profile.
Despite this finding, the BCPO said that multiple unsuccessful attempts were made to obtain a DNA sample directly from Hameed through Indian authorities.
“In October 2020, the Central Bureau of Investigation in India advised the FBI that Nazeer Hameed refused to provide a DNA sample,” the statement said.
In March 2023, U.S. authorities submitted a Mutual Legal Assistance request to the Government of India requesting that Hameed’s DNA be collected via court order. The U.S. Justice Department received confirmation from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs that the request had been received, but it was never fulfilled.
FBI Evidence Expanded Through Employer Cooperation
Ultimately, prosecutors obtained a DNA match through an alternate route. A sample was acquired through Hameed’s employer, linking him directly to the crime.
An examination of a laptop keyboard produced a DNA profile that was later confirmed to be consistent with the unknown blood droplet found at the murder scene.
“This development provided strong physical evidence that confirmed what our investigation had already determined,” BCPO Lt. Brian Cunningham said.
“Nazeer Hameed went to the Narra apartment and brutally murdered Sasikala and her son, Anish.”
BCPO Chief of Investigations Patrick Thornton added, “There is no doubt in our minds” that Hameed committed the crime and expressed hope that extradition would proceed.
FBI and Prosecutors Call for Immediate Extradition
Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw said the authority to seek extradition rests jointly with the Department of Justice and the State Department.
“We call upon the United States government and the government of India to take swift and decisive action to ensure this individual is extradited without delay to face the charges that await him here,” Bradshaw said.
“No border, no distance, and no delay should stand in the way of justice. We urge full cooperation between our nations to demonstrate that those who commit violent crimes cannot flee accountability by crossing oceans.”
Community Support and Ongoing FBI Efforts
The Prosecutor’s Office acknowledged the support of the Indian Cultural Centre of Southern New Jersey during the eight-year investigation. ICC Board of Trustees member Jayesh Parikh thanked the BCPO, Maple Shade Police Department, and law enforcement partners for their persistence “despite the many challenges and setbacks encountered along the way.”
Police Chief Fletcher said photos of Sasikala and Anish remain displayed inside the detective bureau.
“Those images reminded every investigator, every day, that they carried the responsibility of bringing justice for the victims,” he said.
