The NSW Government has today announced a $1 million reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the murder of Prabha Arun Kumar, a 41-year-old Indian IT professional, in 2015.
This renewed appeal aims to help bring closure to Prabha’s family, who have waited almost a decade for answers.
NSW Police and Counter-terrorism Minister, the Honourable Yasmin Catley MP, hopes the $1 million reward will encourage anyone with information to come forward.
“Police will not stop looking for answers until Prabha’s killer is brought to justice. Prabha’s family deserve closure – someone out there knows something and there is now one million more reasons to get in contact with police.”
Prabha was walking home through Parramatta Park in Sydney’s west on 7 March 2015, after finishing work in Rhodes. At about 9:30 pm, while on the phone to her husband in India, she was stabbed in the neck and died from her injuries shortly after emergency services arrived.
Strike Force Marcoala was established to investigate the attack, which police now believe was targeted, ruling out motives related to robbery, sexual violence, or racial bias.
Although police initially considered the attack random, Commander of Homicide Squad Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty stated that recent evidence suggests it was an intentional act of violence.
Detective Superintendent Doherty wants the community to know police will continue to keep searching for Prabha’s murderer and bring justice to her family.
“Prabha was a wife and mother who spent her time caring for her family and contributing to her community and in 2014 she was murdered in cold blood. Detectives have spent the last decade searching for Prabha’s killer and we are hoping this reward will shake loose the memories of those who saw Prabha before her death who might be able to help police,” Det Supt Doherty said.
“This reward is about bringing justice for Prabha’s family and community and it’s about finding answers and putting her killer before the courts so they can answer for this crime.”
Prabha’s husband, who was in India at the time of her murder, remains a person of interest due to reports of an extramarital relationship. However, Doherty noted that other persons are also under investigation.
The reward is available both within Australia and internationally, as authorities hope anyone with knowledge—whether in Australia or India—will come forward.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
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