Eight years after the brutal killing of 38-year-old tech professional Sasikala Narra and her six-year-old son Anish in their New Jersey apartment, the United States has formally charged Indian national Nazir Hameed and requested his swift extradition from India.
Breakthrough DNA Evidence Emerges After Eight Years
According to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, investigators made a crucial breakthrough when they recovered DNA from Hameed’s work laptop, which he used at a multinational company’s office in Chennai.
The laptop was requisitioned from India in 2024 under a US court order. Once transferred to the New Jersey State Police DNA Laboratory, forensic experts extracted DNA that matched unidentified bloodstains found at the crime scene in 2016. Importantly, this blood did not belong to either of the victims or to Sasikala’s husband, Hanu Narra. Officials described this discovery as “the strongest evidence” in the long-running investigation.
Prosecutor Urges Immediate Extradition
Burlington County Prosecutor La-Chia Bradshaw has called upon both the US government and the Government of India to ensure Hameed’s extradition without delay. Authorities also emphasised that Hameed had refused to provide a DNA sample when initially approached by investigators.
“We worked with our federal partners and authorities in India to approach Nazeer about giving a DNA sample. He declined that request,” said Lieutenant Brian Cunningham, speaking to CBS News.
Hameed Returned to India Months After the Killings
Investigators revealed that Hameed, who was in the US on a work visa at the time of the murders, was a co-worker of Hanu Narra and lived in the same apartment complex in New Jersey. He had also been accused of stalking Narra.
Six months after the double homicide, Hameed abruptly left the US and returned to India. He resumed work at Cognizant’s Chennai office and remained employed there until 2023.
The breakthrough came after US authorities issued a subpoena, prompting the company to hand over his company-issued laptop in September 2024. Following the DNA match, Cognizant terminated his employment.
How DNA From a Laptop Cracked Open the Case
Investigators admitted they were determined to secure Hameed’s DNA, especially after his refusal to cooperate. The court-ordered seizure of the laptop proved decisive.
“Ultimately, a DNA contributor was able to be obtained from the laptop, which matched the DNA from the unknown blood droplet recovered from the crime scene,” Cunningham said.
The laptop reached the US in October 2024 and was immediately sent to the state police laboratory for testing. This analysis provided the clearest physical evidence yet linking Hameed to the crime.
Victims Found Stabbed in Their Apartment
Sasikala and young Anish were discovered stabbed to death in their flat by Hanu Narra in 2016. Detectives collected multiple blood samples from the scene, including the crucial droplet that did not match any known profiles at the time.
Hameed quickly became a person of interest after his alleged stalking behaviour came to light, paired with the fact that he lived in the same apartment community and left the US shortly after the murders.
Despite the major forensic breakthrough, prosecutors say the motive behind the killings remains unknown. However, given the weight of the DNA evidence and Hameed’s actions after the murder, US authorities have intensified efforts to bring him back to face trial.
