FBI Offers $50,000 Reward For Information on Indian Man Who Killed Woman, Son In New Jersey

New York: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is offering a reward of up to $50,000 USD for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of an Indian national named Nazeer Hameed who is allegedly involved in the murder of an Indian woman and her six-year-old son.

Hameed is wanted for his alleged involvement in the murder of Sasikala Narra and her six-year-old son Anish Narra inside an apartment in Maple Shade, New Jersey, on the evening of March 23, 2017, the FBI said.

An autopsy report confirmed that both of them died from multiple slash wounds to their necks. Anish Narra was nearly decapitated by his attacker, and the post-mortem examination revealed several defensive wounds on the bodies of both victims, as per reports.

The US has urged the Indian government to extradite the suspect, as he is believed to be living in India, according to the FBI.

The US Embassy India has also urged Indian authorities for collaboration to bring the accused to book.

In a post on X, the US Embassy India wrote, "The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Nazeer Hameed. He remains at large, and we welcome our collaboration with Indian authorities to bring him to justice. If you have any information that can lead to his arrest, please report it to the FBI."

Hameed has been charged with First Degree Murder (Two Counts); Third Degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose (Two Counts) and Fourth Degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon.

Governor of New Jersey Phil Murphy has earlier requested the Indian government for assistance in extraditing Hameed. He also sent a letter to Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra regarding the same.

In a post on X, Governor Murphy wrote, "Last week, I called and sent a letter to @AmbVMKwatra requesting the assistance of the Government of India in the extradition of Indian national Nazeer Hameed, who has been formally charged and indicted in the March 2017 murders of Sasikala Narra and her six-year-old son, Anish, in Maple Shade, New Jersey."

Stressing that the “heinous crime shocked” the state, Murphy said New Jersey stands ready to cooperate fully with the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, as well as the Justice Department, State Department, and FBI “to facilitate the extradition process in accordance with both Indian law and the terms of our bilateral treaty.”

US authorities have said that Hameed returned to India six months after the killings and remains there to this day.