The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is offering a reward of up to USD 50,000 for information on Nazeer Hameed, an Indian national wanted for the 2017 murder of Sasikala Narra, 38, and her six-year-old son, Anish Narra, inside their Maple Shade, New Jersey apartment.

Authorities are urging the Indian government to extradite Hameed, who returned to India six months after the killings.

Hameed, 38, faces two counts of First Degree Murder, two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon.

He was identified as a person of interest after it emerged that he had been stalking Hanumanth Narra, the husband and father of the victims, BCPO said.

A state warrant has been issued, and the FBI is offering the reward for information leading to Hameed’s arrest or conviction.

New Jersey governor Phil Murphy said last week he “called and sent a letter” to Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra “requesting the assistance" of the Government of India in Hameed’s extradition.

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.”

Murphy conveyed his "profound gratitude” to Kwatra for his “prompt attention to this matter and for the continued partnership between our governments.”

Last month, Burlington County prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw and Maple Shade police chief Christopher Fletcher announced the charges, crediting eight years of work to bring Hameed to justice.

“On the evening of March 23, 2017, officers from the Maple Shade Police Department were called to an apartment complex after the bodies of Sasikala and Anish Narra were discovered inside their home,” the BCPO statement said.

Autopsies revealed both victims died from multiple slash wounds to the neck. Anish Narra was nearly decapitated. Both bore defensive wounds.

“The scene that day was unimaginable,” Fletcher said. “Those who responded saw the carnage of a mother and her young child who spent their final moments fighting for their lives.”

Hameed lived in the same apartment complex and worked in the same IT company as Hanumanth Narra.

The charges were delayed as investigators gathered evidence and sought extradition. Analysis of a droplet of blood at the crime scene revealed it did not belong to the victims but matched Hameed, a male with Central Asian ancestry.

“In October 2020, the Central Bureau of Investigation in India advised the Federal Bureau of Investigation that Nazeer Hameed refused to provide a DNA sample,” the BCPO statement said.

A 2023 request to collect his DNA via court order was acknowledged by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs but never fulfilled.

Detectives were criticised for being unsympathetic because the victims were Indian, but Fletcher said, "our commitment to bringing justice for Sasikala and Anish never wavered."

“These crimes were an outrage to our community and to all the investigators who worked on this case. Two photos hang prominently inside our detective bureau, one of Sasikala and Anish together, and another of Anish at school in his uniform. Those images reminded every investigator, every day, that they carried the responsibility of bringing justice for the victims," Fletcher said.

A DNA sample was finally obtained from Hameed’s employer. Analysis of a laptop keyboard confirmed the match.

“This development provided strong physical evidence that confirmed what our investigation had already determined,” BCPO Lt. Brian Cunningham said. “Nazeer Hameed went to the Narra apartment and brutally murdered Sasikala and her son, Anish.”

BCPO Chief of Investigations Patrick Thornton said, “there is no doubt in our minds” that Hameed committed the crime and expressed hope for his extradition. The US Department of Justice and State Department share authority to seek extradition.

“We call upon the United States government and the government of India to take swift and decisive action to ensure this individual is extradited without delay to face the charges that await him here,” Bradshaw said. “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 Indian Cultural Centre of Southern New Jersey also supported the investigation.

ICC Board of Trustees member Jayesh Parikh thanked law enforcement agencies involved for their “dedication and perseverance over the past eight years, despite the many challenges and setbacks encountered along the way.”