FBI Offers $50,000 Reward for Capture of Indian National Wanted in 2017 New Jersey Double Murder Case

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Nazeer Hameed, an Indian national wanted for the 2017 murders of Sasikala Narra and her six-year-old son Anish in New Jersey.

Hameed, 38, has been charged with two counts of First Degree Murder in connection with the brutal killings that occurred inside an apartment in Maple Shade, New Jersey in March 2017. U.S. authorities have confirmed that Hameed returned to India six months after the murders and has remained there since.

According to the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office (BCPO), investigators identified Hameed as a person of interest after discovering 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.

The crime scene was described as horrific by authorities. Maple Shade Police Chief Christopher Fletcher stated, "Those who responded saw the carnage of a mother and her young child who spent their final moments fighting for their lives." An autopsy revealed that both victims died from multiple slash wounds to their necks, with Anish nearly decapitated and defensive wounds present on both bodies.

A critical breakthrough in the case came when investigators found that a small droplet of blood at the crime scene did not belong to either victim. The blood was later determined to match Hameed's blood type and belonged to a male with Central Asian ancestry.

Despite multiple attempts to collaborate with Indian officials to collect a DNA sample from Hameed, these efforts were unsuccessful. In 2020, the Central Bureau of Investigation in India informed the FBI that Hameed refused to provide a DNA sample. A subsequent Mutual Legal Assistance request to the Indian government in 2023 was acknowledged but never fulfilled.

Investigators eventually obtained DNA evidence through a request to Hameed's employer. An examination of a laptop keyboard generated a DNA profile consistent with the blood droplet found at the murder scene, providing strong physical evidence linking Hameed to the killings.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has reached out to Indian Ambassador Vinay Kwatra requesting assistance from the Government of India in extraditing Hameed. "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," Murphy stated.

Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw has called for swift action from both governments, stating, "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."

The FBI has listed Hameed on its Most Wanted website as authorities continue their efforts to bring him back to the United States to face prosecution. While the exact motive for the killings has not been definitively established, investigators are confident in the evidence against Hameed.

The Prosecutor's Office acknowledged the support of the Indian Cultural Centre of Southern New Jersey throughout the investigation. ICC Board of Trustees member Jayesh Parikh expressed gratitude to law enforcement agencies for their dedication over the past eight years "despite the many challenges and setbacks encountered along the way."