New Jersey governor Phil Murphy has written to New Delhi seeking the help of the Indian government in the extradition of Nazeer Hameed, an Indian national charged in a double murder a mother and son in 2017. Sasikala Narra and her six-year-old son Anish were killed by the accused Hameed, who used to work with Sasikala’s husband. The investigation took eight years to lead the sleuths to Hameed who already went back to India and started a new life. The motive of the murder is not yet established. Murphy wrote to Indian envoy to the US Vinay Kwatra citing the US-India Extradition Treaty and said the US authorities will subkit all required documentation and certifications necessary for an extradition request to be duly considered by the Indian authorities. “This heinous crime shocked our state, and for eight years investigators pursued every available lead. Recent forensic evidence, including DNA analysis by the New Jersey State Police DNA Laboratory, has linked Mr Hameed to the crime scene, leading to formal charges in Burlington County Superior Court. It is our understanding that Mr Hameed is presently residing in India, having departed the United States shortly after the murders occurred,” New Jersey governor wrote, adding that allegations against Hameed are not yet proved and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty but he needs to participate in the judicial process within the US legal system.
FBI offers $50,000 reward for information on Hameed
The FBI has offered $50,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Hameed, as sleuths have now hit a dead end in the 2017 case. Two years after the heinous murder, a lab report was issued that revealed that one drop of blood found at the crime scene did not belong to the family. Nazeer became a person of interest as he used to stay close to Sasikala’s residence. But at that time, Nazeer was already in India and he refused to give a DNA sample for the test.The investigators did not leave the case. In 2024, they obtained a court order to pursue Nazeer’s company in India to send them his company-issued laptop without informing him so that they could gather DNA evidence. The DNA matched with the blood and since then the cops are hunting for Hameed.
