Suspect In Brutal Slayings Of Mother, Son In Burlington Co. Remains At Large: FBI

MAPLE SHADE, NJ — The FBI and Gov. Phil Murphy are making a public push for the extradition of an Indian national recently accused of brutally slaying a woman and her 6-year-old son nearly a decade ago in a Burlington County apartment.

Last month, the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office announced murder charges against Nazeer Hameed in the case. Hameed was working in the United States when he killed Sasikala Narra — his neighbor and coworker — and her son, Anish, in the victims' Maple Shade apartment in March 2017, authorities said.

• Read more: Cold Case Cracked In Brutal Slayings Of Mother, Child In Burlington Co.: Prosecutor

Hameed moved back to India six months after the killings, prosecutors said. For several years, logistical challenges in getting a DNA sample from Hameed delayed prosecutors from filing charges, despite him long being identified as a person of interest, officials said.

American officials believe Hameed, 38, still lives in India and have urged the nation's government to extradite him to the United States so he can face the charges.

On Monday, the FBI announced a reward of up to $50,000 for information that leads to Hameed's arrest.

Last week, Murphy spoke about the matter with Vinay Kwatra, the ambassador of India to the United States. The governor requested assistance from India's government in the extradition process.

"I wish to convey my profound gratitude to Ambassador Kwatra, with whom I spoke last week, for his prompt attention to this matter and for the continued partnership between our governments," Murphy said Tuesday in a statement.

The U.S. and India have an extradition treaty, providing a legal framework for the two nations to surrender people accused or convicted of crimes. But it's unclear whether Indian officials are actively searching for Hameed or know his location.

Sasikala Narra, 38, and her son, Anish, were found dead in their apartment eight years ago with multiple slash wounds to their necks, prosecutors said. Anish was nearly decapitated, and the post-mortem examination showed defensive wounds on both victims' bodies.

Hameed lived in the same apartment complex, and both he and Sasikala had worked for Cognizant Technology Solutions — a Philadelphia-based consulting firm.

At the crime scene, authorities say they collected a single drop of blood that didn't come from either victim. It was later determined that the blood was the same type as Hameed's and belonged to a male of Central Asian ancestry, prosecutors said.

Hameed became a person of interest several years ago, when authorities discovered he was stalking Hanumanth Narra, the victims' father and husband.

But prosecutors needed a DNA sample to confirm, and multiple attempts to get one with help from India's government fell through. In 2020, the Central Bureau of Investigation in India told the FBI that Hameed refused to provide a sample.

In March 2023, a Mutual Legal Assistance request was made to the government of India requesting Hameed's DNA be collected via a court order. The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs said they received the request, but they never acted on it, prosecutors said.

Ultimately, the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office sought the suspect's DNA through his former employer. After being served a subpoena, Cognizant cooperated and provided investigators with Hameed's former work laptop, prosecutors said.

An examination of the laptop's keyboard generated a DNA profile that was consistent with the DNA from the blood droplet at the crime scene, authorities said.

Hameed was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, and singular counts of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

Prosecutors have not established a motive in the case.