Two more teenagers are charged in fatal beating of Old Bridge man

Two more teenagers were charged today with the murder of a township man who was beaten to death outside of his home last Friday night.

Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan said the two boys, one 17 and the other 16, join three other 17-year-olds who were charged with murder Monday after Divyendu Sinha died from the head injuries he received in the beating.

The five, none of whom was identified because of their ages, may also face bias charges, the prosecutor said.

In addition to the charges arising from Sinha’s fatal beating, the five juveniles, all Old Bridge residents, were charged with aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and criminal mischief after investigators learned they were involved in a separate, unrelated altercation with a motorist minutes before they attacked Sinha, Kaplan said.

The five teenagers engaged in a motor vehicle chase with another motorist less than five minutes before they attacked Sinha, 49, outside his Fela Drive home, the prosecutor said. In the first incident, the motorist, a white male, was able to flee from the attack, which occurred on Prests Mill Road in the township, Kaplan said. Several objects were thrown at the motorist’s car, which sustained some damage, he said.

Middlesex County Prosecutor seeks to try Old Bridge juveniles as adults in fatal beating

Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan said today he'd seek to try as adults the five juveniles charged with the fatal beating last month of an Old Bridge man. Kaplan said he will file a motion within seven days in Family Court in New Brunswick after which time a judge will hold a hearing to determine if the motion should be granted. If the motion is approved, the four 17-year-old males and one 16-year-old male would face much harsher penalties if convicted of murder. As juveniles, they would face up to 20 years in prison; adults it’s 30 years to life. In addition, the identities of the five would be revealed publicly if they are waived up to adult status and their court appearances would be open to the public. In Family Court, hearings for juveniles are all closed.

The prosecutor is required to prove the juveniles are at least 16 years old and that there is probable cause for charging them with murder in order for a judge to grant the motion. The five suspects are charged with the murder of Divyendu Sinha, who was out walking with his wife and two children the night of June 25 when he was attacked in front of his Fela Drive home. He died three days later from head injuries sustained during the beating. Within hours of the attack, the first suspect was arrested. Two more were arrested June 26 and the last two, a 17-year-old and the 16-year-old, were arrested July 1. Kaplan said he does not expect any more arrests and is still investigating whether the attack on Sinha, an author, former professor, and computer scientist, constitutes a bias crime.

"In this process, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office remains mindful of the societal aim, as expressed in the state’s bias crime statute, to provide enhanced protection to racial, ethnic and religious minorities," Kaplan said in a statement. "Therefore, the issue of whether or not this crime falls within the ambit of a bias crime will be rigorously investigated and scrutinized." The five suspects are also charged with attacking a white male motorist about five minutes before they allegedly assaulted Sinha. The motorist managed to escape. Sinha’s death has sparked concern within the Asian Indian community in Old Bridge and led to a meeting June 29 with township officials.

Thursday, Guarang Vaishnav, who said he knew Sinha for 12 years, hailed the prosecutor’s announcement. "This is the first small victory in the fight for justice," Vaishnav said. "The prosecutor made the right decision and I hope the judge agrees." Kiren Desai, a leader of the South Asian community in Old Bridge and a member of two municipal agencies, said he was "happy for this decision. The prosecutor is doing his job correctly and swiftly." The Asian Indian community is holding a vigil in memory of Divyendu Sinha from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at Old Bridge High School on Route 516. All five juveniles are being held at the Middlesex County Juvenile Detention Center in North Brunswick.

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