FBI takes over Sasikala Narra, Anish Narra double homicide case in New Jersey

April 17, 2017

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NEW YORK: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has taken over the investigation of the horrific double homicide case of the young Indian software engineer from India, Sasikala Narra, and her six-year-old son Anish Narra, who were murdered at home sometime on March 23^rd, at the Fox Meadow Apartments, in Maple Shade, New Jersey.

The FBI was finally called in by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and the Maple Shade Police Department, more than three weeks after the bodies were found by Hanumantha Rao Narra, the husband of Sasikala Narra, and father of Anish Narra, after he returned from work just after 9 p.m. on March 23.

Sasikala Narra was an employee of Cognizant too, and on the day of the murder had worked at office, before returning home after picking up her son from school. Autopsy reports revealed that the mother and son were killed by brutally stabbing them in the face with a knife.

Hanumantha Rao Narra, who works for Cognizant Technologies, and was allegedly having an affair with another woman, has been questioned multiple times by the local law enforcement officials but was not charged or detained. He, however, didn’t travel to attend the cremation of his wife and burial of his son.

According to sources, Narra has been living with a friend since the murders.

According to local community leaders who interacted with the Maple Shade PD in the days following the double homicide, there was no break-in, nothing was stolen from the apartment and there was no act of vandalism. Sources, however, didn’t know if there was sexual assault involved too. In all likelihood, it seems to be a case of premeditated murder.

Prasad Thotakura, former president of the Telugu Association of North America (TANA), in an interview to News India Times, on April 11, said that it was important to keep up the pressure on local law enforcement personnel and also the US Justice Department by the Indian Embassy and the concerned Indian Consulate – in this case, the Indian Consulate in New York.

“The Indian Embassy and the Indian Consulate need to ask the US Justice Department for answers,” said Thotakura, who has helped in the logistics and fundraising to transport the bodies of Sasikala Narra and Anish Narra, to India. “There is only that much we (TANA) can do. Our hands are tied with a lot of other issues. The government of India needs to ask the questions and ensure that answers are given.”