5 Indian-origin men charged with murder of Indian man found decomposed in forest

Five Indian-origin men have been arrested and charged with the murder of Kuldeep Kumar, a 35-year-old Indian man whose bullet-ridden body was found in a decomposed state in Manchester Township, New Jersey, US, according to the Ocean County prosecutor's office.

The last suspect, Sandeep Kumar, 34, of South Ozone Park, New York, was taken into custody on January 3, 2025. He has been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the death of Kuldeep Kumar, who was fatally shot multiple times in the chest on or about October 22, 2024.

The four other suspects -- Sourav Kumar, 23; Gaurav Singh, 27; Nirmal Singh, 30; and Gurdeep Singh, 22 -- were previously arrested on December 20, 2024, in Greenwood, Indiana. They face identical charges and are currently lodged at the Johnson County Jail in Franklin, Indiana, awaiting extradition to New Jersey.

Kuldeep Kumar was last seen alive in October 2024, and his family reported him missing on October 26, 2024, in Ozone Park, New York.

Nearly two months later, on December 14, 2024, his remains were discovered in the Greenwood Wildlife Management Area in an advanced state of decomposition, according to the prosecutor's office. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) assisted in identifying the body.

A post-mortem examination confirmed that he had died from multiple gunshot wounds, and his death was ruled a homicide.

An extensive investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, New Jersey State Police, and the FBI revealed that the murder involved all five suspects.

Sandeep Kumar is currently being held at the Ocean County Jail in New Jersey, pending a detention hearing. Meanwhile, the other four suspects remain detained in Indiana as they await extradition to face charges in New Jersey.