Key Points
Indian national Nazeer Hameed has been linked to an eight-year-old double murder in New Jersey after new DNA evidence was uncovered.
In 2017, Hameed allegedly killed 38-year-old Sasikala Narra from Andhra Pradesh and her six-year-old son Anish, stabbing them repeatedly.
In 2024, forensic experts extracted a DNA sample from Hameed’s company-issued laptop following a court order, allowing prosecuters to file formal charges.
US authorities have filed murder charges against Indian national Nazeer Hameed, connecting him to the 2017 killings of 38-year-old Sasikala Narra from Andhra Pradesh and her six-year-old son Anish in New Jersey. New DNA evidence produced a breakthrough in the case after eight years, enabling investigators to seek Hameed’s extradition from India.
The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office identified Hameed as a former colleague of Sasikala’s husband, Hanu Narra, at Cognizant Technologies. He lived within walking distance of the family’s home in Maple Shade when the crime occurred. The family had lived in the US for 12 years before the incident.
Authorities said Hameed fled to India soon after the killings and has remained there since.
On 23 March 2017, Hanu Narra returned home to find his wife and son stabbed to death in their New Jersey apartment. Both victims had multiple stab wounds and defensive injuries.
During the early stages of investigation, police discovered a bloodstain at the scene that did not match any member of the Narra family, ruling out Hanu. The unidentified sample became crucial to the case.
Police soon learned that Hameed had earlier been accused of stalking Hanu, and that he had returned to India six months after the murders. Although he continued to work remotely for Cognizant, he refused to provide a DNA sample when approached by Indian authorities. The investigation soon ran cold.
In 2022, the FBI offered a $25,000 reward for any information on the killings. But it was only in 2024 that the case was reopened, after forensic experts extracted a DNA sample from Hameed’s company-issued laptop following a court order. That DNA matched the unidentified blood droplet exactly. This has allowed prosecutors to file formal charges of murder and related offences.
Investigators believe Hameed used his technical expertise to hide any digital traces of involvement.
US officials have approached the Department of Justice to secure Hameed’s extradition. Media reports say he was working in the US on a visa when the killings occurred, before returning to India. His asylum application in the US was rejected in 2024.
Authorities say the motive remains unclear, but they suspect a personal vendetta against Hanu Narra. [Rh]
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