CHANDIGARH: The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced charges against a 38-year-old Indian national in a 2017 case related to the murder of a woman and her 6-year-old son in New Jersey.
The accused had fled to India after allegedly committing the crime.
Nazeer Hameed, who is believed to be currently residing in India, has been charged with first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
According to investigators, Hameed, who worked with the woman's husband and lived in the same apartment complex as that of the family, allegedly murdered 38-year-old Sasikala Narra and her 6-year-old son Anish Narra inside their home in New Jersey's Maple Shade on March 23, 2017.
The investigators claimed Hameed had been stalking Hanumanth Narra, husband of Sasikala Narra.
According to the autopsy report, the victims died from multiple slash wounds to their necks. Anish Narra was nearly decapitated and several defensive wounds were found on the bodies of both victims, according to the post-mortem examination.
According to a statement issued by FBI Newark, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and Maple Shade Police have charged Hameed with two counts of first-degree murder.
"Hameed fled to India and now faces federal charges for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution in the District of New Jersey. FBI Newark is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to his arrest," the statement read.
Burlington County prosecutors also charged Hameed with two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon. He is to be considered armed and dangerous.
Last year, then New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy had sent a letter to Indian Ambassador Vinay Kwatra requesting India government's assistance in Hameed’s extradition.
Stressing that the heinous crime shocked the state, Murphy had 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 the India-US bilateral treaty.
Murphy had conveyed his “profound gratitude” to Kwatra for his “prompt attention to the matter and for the continued partnership between our governments.”