New Delhi : A 30-year-old Indian software engineer has been arrested in the United States for allegedly murdering his 27-year-old wife inside their apartment and then sending a photograph of her body to a woman in India with whom he was reportedly in a long-term relationship.

The accused, Avinash Narne, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Raajitha Sabbineni, whose body was discovered in their apartment in Bellevue, Washington, on October 27, 2025.

According to investigators, Narne called emergency services that day, claiming his wife had locked herself inside the bathroom and was not responding. When police forced open the bathroom door, they found Sabbineni lying unconscious on the floor. She was declared dead at the scene.

Initially, Narne told officers that he had stepped out for about 40 minutes to run errands and returned to find the bathroom locked. However, investigators later found no evidence that anyone else had entered or left the apartment during that period.

A post-mortem conducted by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office concluded that Sabbineni had died due to asphyxia caused by strangulation, and her death was officially ruled a homicide.

During the investigation, police uncovered that Narne had allegedly been in a secret relationship with a woman in India for several years. Despite entering into an arranged marriage with Sabbineni on June 5, 2025, he reportedly continued his relationship with his girlfriend, who had even attended the wedding.

Investigators said Narne spoke to his girlfriend at least four times on the day of the incident, including around the time he claimed he was trying to get into the locked bathroom. Authorities also alleged that he sent her a photograph of his wife’s body after the crime.

Police also recovered text messages exchanged between the couple. In several messages, Sabbineni reportedly complained that drinks prepared by her husband tasted unusually bitter. On the day she died, she allegedly messaged him saying a smoothie he made tasted like “medicine” and “cough syrup,” raising further suspicions during the investigation.

On July 5, 2026, authorities formally charged Narne with one count of first-degree murder. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment. He is currently being held in custody on $5 million bail while the case proceeds.

News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.

Prashant K