Newlywed Indian Man Accused of Killing Wife, Sending Photo of Her Body to Girlfriend

A new life together in the United States became a chilling murder case involving alleged infidelity, deception, and an attempted cover-up. Police have arrested 30-year-old Indian software engineer Avinash Narne in connection with the alleged murder of his 27-year-old wife, Rajitha Sabbineni, whose body was found in their Bellevue, Washington, apartment.

Prosecutors claim that Narne killed his wife and attempted to cover up the crime by making it appear accidental. He also sent his dead wife's photo to a woman in India with whom he allegedly has a secret relationship.

The Discovery That Led to Suspicions

The first call came on 27 October 2025. Narne called the Bellevue police to say his wife had locked herself in the bathroom and was not responding. Police forced open the bathroom door to find Sabbineni lying on the floor. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the interrogation, Narne told officers that he left the apartment to run errands and returned 40 minutes later to find the bathroom door locked. But soon, the evidence gathered from the inquiry contradicted Narne's story, authorities said. They said recorded footage and other evidence showed no one else entered or left the apartment, and detectives have questioned his account of the events.

Medical Findings Changed the Direction of the Case

The case took a major turn after the King County Medical Examiner's Office determined that Sabbineni's death was strangulation, ruling the death a homicide instead of an accident or medical emergency. The detectives spent months gathering forensic evidence, surveillance video, digital records, and witness interviews to reconstruct a timeline of events inside the apartment.

A Hidden Relationship Came to Light

What investigators found next added an extra layer to the case. Court filings claim that Narne allegedly had a long-term relationship with another woman in India before marrying Sabbineni in an arranged marriage. Police allege that the affair didn't end after the marriage and that the woman attended the couple's wedding as a guest.

According to authorities, during the day of his wife's death, Narne contacted the other woman several times that day. This includes one call he made around the time that he claimed he was trying to get inside the locked bathroom.

Digital Evidence Added Another Layer

Among the key evidence reviewed were the text messages between Narne and Sabbineni before her death. Court documents revealed that she had previously complained that the drinks her husband prepared seemed bitter.

On the day she died, she allegedly sent him a text message saying that the smoothie he made for her tasted like 'medicine' and 'cough syrup'. Officials have not publicly indicated whether they found any evidence linking the beverages to her death or whether the toxicology results influenced the case.

On July 1, prosecutors filed first-degree murder charges against Narne after a months-long probe. He was taken into custody by Bellevue police and is being held on $5 million bail. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison. Now it is solely up to the courts to decide whether the evidence presented by the prosecution proves guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.