July 2010

bring appropriate charges.”

Kaplan also said authorities would determine whether or not the juveniles would be tried as adults once the investigation is complete. The prosecutor’s office has 30 days to file the motion in Family Court, and officials must show probable cause. Once filed and supported by evidence, it will be up to the Superior Court judge to decide.

Sinha was attacked as he walked near his Fela Drive home with members of his family around 11:40 p.m. on June 25, authorities have said. Police received a 911 call at that time, and officers arrived to find Sinha lying on the ground outside his home. Sinha’s two sons — one is in high school and the other is 10 years old — reportedly sustained minor injuries during the attack, but his wife was not hurt.

No weapons were used in the attack, officials said.

Sinha was taken first to Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, and later to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where he remained in critical condition until his death on June 28. An autopsy revealed that the victim died of a head injury.

On June 26, authorities arrested the first three suspects, all 17-year-old Old Bridge residents.

Their charges were updated from aggravated assault to murder and conspiracy to commit murder following Sinha’s death.

The names of the suspects have been withheld due to their ages.

Sinha was a computer scientist at Siemans and a professor at the College of Staten Island. He was also the author of several books about computer science.

Concerns about bias incidents On June 29, more than 100 people gathered at the Old Bridge municipal building for an impromptumeeting regarding the recent fatality.

“It originally was supposed to be a one-ononemeetingwith a resident who wanted to talk about the incident and where the investigation was going. But he told a few of his friends, and they told their friends, and so we ended up filling the council chambers,” said Mayor Jim Phillips. “A lot of good things came from it.”

Phillips said that the meeting, which was run by Kiran Desai, Old Bridge’s Zoning Board of Adjustment chairman, brought out many who had questions about the investigation, and others who reported that they have been victims of racially biased harassment from teenagers.

Desai said that any residents who believe they have been victims of harassment in any way should report the incident to authorities so that appropriate action can be taken.

“It’s easy to say that this was a bias attack — and it could be, but that’s up to the authorities to