Indian techie arrested for killing wife in US, sending body photo to lover in India
Arrest came nine months after investigators ruled the 27-year-old's death a homicide
Dubai: A 30-year-old Indian software engineer has been arrested in the United States for allegedly murdering his wife nearly nine months after she was found dead at their apartment, NDTV reported, citing court documents and police.
According to the Bellevue Police Department, Avinash Narne is accused of strangling his 27-year-old wife, Raajitha Sabbineni, and staging the scene to make it appear as though her death was accidental.
The incident dates back to October 27, 2025, when Narne called police, claiming his wife was locked inside the bathroom and was not responding. Officers forced open the door and found Sabbineni lying on the floor. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
During questioning, Narne told investigators he had left the apartment to run errands and returned about 40 minutes later to find the bathroom locked. However, investigators found no evidence that anyone else had entered the apartment during that time.
The following day, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Sabbineni’s death a homicide, determining that she had died from asphyxia caused by strangulation.
The investigation also uncovered what police described as a long-running secret relationship between Narne and a woman in India. Despite marrying Sabbineni in an arranged marriage on June 5, 2025, Narne allegedly continued the relationship. Investigators said the woman had even attended the couple’s wedding.
According to police, Narne called his girlfriend at least four times on the day of the alleged murder, including around the time he claimed he was trying to enter the locked bathroom. Investigators also alleged that he sent her a photograph of his wife’s body after her death.
Authorities further recovered text messages in which Sabbineni repeatedly complained that drinks prepared by her husband tasted unusually bitter. On the day she died, she allegedly messaged him that a smoothie he had made tasted like “medicine” and “cough syrup.”
Narne was charged with one count of first-degree murder on July 5 and could face life imprisonment if convicted. He is being held in custody on bail set at $5 million, NDTV reported.
