FBI Posts $50,000 Reward For Indian Wanted In 2017 NJ Double Murder

India-West News Desk

NEW YORK- The FBI has announced a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Nazeer Hameed, an Indian national charged with the 2017 murders of Sasikala Narra, 38, and her six-year-old son Anish in Maple Shade, New Jersey.

Authorities said Hameed, now 38, left the United States for India about six months after the killings and has remained there since. He is listed on the FBI’s Most Wanted website, and a state warrant has been issued for his arrest.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said he recently contacted Indian Ambassador Vinay Kwatra by phone and letter to request India’s cooperation in extraditing Hameed. Murphy said the state will work closely with India’s Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs, along with U.S. federal agencies, to facilitate the process under the bilateral treaty.

In February this year, Hameed was charged with two counts of First-Degree Murder, two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office (BCPO).

BCPO said investigators identified Hameed as a person of interest early in the probe after learning he had been stalking the victims’ husband and father, Hanumanth Narra. Hameed lived in the same apartment complex as the Narra family and worked at the same IT company as Hanumanth.

On March 23, 2017, officers responding to the family’s apartment found Sasikala and Anish dead from multiple sharp-force injuries. Autopsies revealed severe neck wounds, including near-decapitation of the child, along with defensive injuries on both victims. “The scene that day was unimaginable,” Maple Shade Police Chief Christopher Fletcher said in a BCPO statement.

The investigation stalled for years as authorities sought additional evidence and cooperation from Indian counterparts.

A critical breakthrough came when a tiny droplet of blood recovered from the crime scene was found not to belong to either victim. Forensic testing determined it matched the blood type and Central Asian ancestry consistent with Hameed.

BCPO said multiple attempts to obtain Hameed’s DNA with assistance from Indian agencies were unsuccessful. The Central Bureau of Investigation informed the FBI in October 2020 that Hameed had refused to provide a DNA sample. A 2023 Mutual Legal Assistance request seeking a court-ordered sample was acknowledged by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs but not carried out.

Investigators ultimately obtained Hameed’s DNA through a request to his employer. A sample collected from a laptop keyboard produced a profile consistent with the unknown blood droplet from the crime scene. “This development provided strong physical evidence confirming what our investigation had already determined,” BCPO Lt. Brian Cunningham said.