Sasikala was a software professional.
An Indian American woman and her seven-year-old son were allegedly murdered at their residence in Maple Shade, New Jersey, media reports.
The reports quote the family members of the deceased alleging that the Sasikala Narra and her son Anish Sai Narra were murdered.
According to IANS, Sasikala’s husband, Hanumantha Rao, found his wife and son dead in their home when he returned from work on Thursday evening. The reports claim that the family hails from Andhra Pradesh and have been settled in the US from the last nine years.
IANS quoted Y Sambasiva, a politician from Andhra Pradesh, saying that both of the deceased were strangulated to death. Sasikala was a software employee and she used to work from home.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu tweeted, saying, “Pained to hear about the killing of Sasikala & son Sai in New Jersey, US. My condolences to the family members.”
Related: New Jersey double murder of Indian Americans not a hate crime: police (March 24, 2017)
“Saddened to learn about the killing of Sasikala and her son in New Jersey, US. Strongly condemn such acts of violence,” tweeted Telugu Desam Party General Secretary and MLC Nara Lokesh.
The killing of Indian American engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla had triggered a panic among the community and the latest murder has once again shocked its members.
In another incident, an Indian American store owner was shot dead outside his home in South California and the very next day a Sikh American was shot by a White American who apparently shouted: “go back to your country.”
This incident happens just a day after the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), as part of its ongoing campaign against a rise in hate violence against South Asians, hosted a congressional briefing and a town hall in Washington, DC.
Indian American Congressman Ami Bera who was part of the meeting said, “As a nation, we must come together to stand up to these disturbing acts of hate violence — starting with the President.”
“These hateful attacks do not reflect who we are as a nation of immigrants, but such violence could do irreparable damage to our reputation around the world,” he added.
Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal also attended the SAALT organized town hall. Jayapal said, “The resolution that Congressman Crowley and I introduced, along with the work of SAALT are stepped in the direction of ending this vitriol, but every single person in this country has a stake in ending hate. This falls on all of us, I would encourage the current administration to remember that.”