TRENTON – Last week, Governor Phil Murphy sent a letter and spoke to Ambassador of India to the United States Vinay Kwatra requesting the assistance of the Government of India in the extradition of Indian national Nazeer Hameed, who has been formally charged and indicted in the March 2017 murders of Sasikala Narra and her six-year-old son, Anish, in Maple Shade, New Jersey.

Following a multi-year investigation by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, in partnership with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, charges against Hameed were formally announced last month following a DNA analysis by the New Jersey State Police DNA Laboratory that linked Mr. Hameed to the crime scene. Mr. Hameed currently resides in India and left the United States approximately six months after the murders occurred.

In his letter, Governor Murphy referenced the 1997 Extradition Treaty between the United States of America and the Republic of India and the enduring spirit of cooperation between the two countries in upholding the rule of law and combating violent crime.

“This heinous crime shocked our state, and for eight years investigators pursued every available lead,” said Governor Murphy. “The Government of New Jersey stands ready to cooperate fully with the Ministry of External Affairs of India, Ministry of Home Affairs of India, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of State, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to facilitate the extradition process in accordance with both Indian law and the terms of our bilateral treaty. 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.”

The Governor recognizes that the charges and allegations against Mr. Hameed are merely accusations and that he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

For a full copy of Governor Murphy’s letter, please click here.