A 30-year-old Indian software engineer has been taken into custody in the United States on allegations of murdering his wife, nearly nine months after she was discovered dead inside the couple's apartment. Investigators with the Bellevue Police Department allege that Avinash Narne killed his 27-year-old wife, Raajitha Sabbineni, by strangulation before attempting to make the scene appear otherwise in October last year.
The investigation stems from events on October 27, 2025, when Narne contacted police, claiming his wife was locked inside the bathroom and was not responding. Officers forced entry into the room and found Sabbineni lying on the floor. She was declared dead at the scene by authorities.
When interviewed by investigators, Narne said he had gone out on October 27 to run errands and returned roughly 40 minutes later, only to find the bathroom locked with his wife inside.
Police, however, said their investigation found no evidence that anyone else entered the apartment during the period Narne said he was away.
A day after the incident, the King County Medical Examiner's Office determined that Sabbineni's death was a homicide, concluding that she died from asphyxia due to strangulation.
As the inquiry progressed, investigators uncovered what they described as a "secret relationship" between Narne and a woman in India that had continued for several years. Despite that relationship, Narne entered into an arranged marriage with Sabbineni on June 5, 2025. According to officials, his girlfriend was present at the wedding.
Authorities said the relationship between Narne and the woman continued after his marriage to Sabbineni.
Investigators also found that Narne had spoken to his girlfriend at least four times on the day of the killing, including around the time he later told police he had been trying to get into the locked bathroom. Officials further alleged that he sent his girlfriend a photograph of his wife's dead body.
The investigation also uncovered text messages sent by Sabbineni to Narne in which she repeatedly complained that drinks he prepared for her were "tasting bitter". On the day she died, she messaged him saying a smoothie he had made tasted like "medicine" and "cough syrup".
On July 5, authorities charged Narne with one count of first-degree murder, stating that he could face life in prison if convicted.
Officials added that he remains in custody with bail set at $5 million.
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