US authorities have arrested Telangana-born software engineer Avinash Narne for the alleged murder of his wife, Raajitha Sabbineni, in Washington. Prosecutors claim he strangled her and staged the death as suicide. The case was reclassified as homicide following the autopsy findings.
Nearly nine months after the death of a 27-year-old Indian woman in Bellevue, Washington, US authorities have arrested her husband, Telangana-born software engineer Avinash Narne. He has been charged with first-degree murder, with prosecutors alleging that he strangled his wife and then tried to portray the incident as a suicide.
Charging documents filed in Washington state say that Raajitha Sabbineni died on October 27, 2025—just a few months after the couple’s wedding. At first, the death was treated as a “sudden death” case after Narne contacted emergency services and claimed he came home to find his wife unresponsive inside a locked bathroom.
Subsequent investigation, including an autopsy, concluded that Raajitha died of asphyxia caused by strangulation. Based on that finding, investigators reclassified the case as a homicide.
Authorities allege that Narne had been involved in a long-term relationship with another woman in India even before he married Raajitha through an arranged marriage, and that he concealed this relationship from his family. Prosecutors also claim the other woman attended the couple’s wedding in June 2025 and that they continued communicating after the marriage.
Investigators further say Narne placed at least four calls to the woman on the day his wife died. Police allege that Narne later sent her a photograph of Raajitha’s body, and that he reportedly admitted this during questioning after initially deleting the messages.
Investigators also reviewed messages exchanged between Raajitha and others shortly before her death. According to the authorities, she had told friends and Narne that the smoothies he prepared for her tasted unusually bitter. At one point, she reportedly described the taste as being “like cough syrup.”
While these messages are part of the ongoing investigation, authorities have not publicly confirmed whether any substance in the drinks was harmful.
Police said Narne initially claimed he had gone out to buy food and medicine after Raajitha complained of feeling unwell. He then allegedly told investigators that, upon returning home, he found her locked inside the bathroom and called 911 after failing to get a response.
Emergency responders reportedly forced open the bathroom door and attempted CPR before Raajitha was declared dead. Investigators later concluded that the scene had allegedly been staged to resemble a suicide and that only Narne had access to the apartment at the relevant time.
Members of the Telugu community in Washington who had helped with Raajitha’s cremation shortly after her death said they were unaware that Narne had become the prime suspect. Volunteers recalled that Narne personally handled the cremation formalities and consistently maintained that his wife died after becoming unwell while he was away.
As the investigation advanced, detectives reportedly pointed to forensic findings, digital evidence, deleted communications, and Narne’s alleged relationship with another woman as key reasons for arresting him on first-degree murder charges. The criminal proceedings against Narne are now pending before the appropriate court in Washington State.
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