Indian man kills wife in US four months after marriage, sends dead body’s photo to girlfriend | World

A 30-year-old Indian software engineer allegedly strangled his wife to death in the United States just four months after their arranged marriage inside their apartment in Washington and then sent a photograph of her body to his alleged girlfriend in India, according to US local media reports.

The victim, Raajitha Sabbineni, 27, was the wife of Avinash Narne, a software development engineer from Telangana. She was found dead in October 2025. Narne has now been arrested and charged after an extensive investigation allegedly uncovered evidence pointing to a premeditated murder, while he was also said to be maintaining a secret romantic relationship with another woman in India.

According to charging documents cited by local media, Narne allegedly sent a photograph of Sabbineni’s body to his girlfriend the day after her death and had spoken to her four times on the day of the alleged murder.

The case took a significant turn on Monday, when Avinash Narne pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder before a court in Washington state.

According to US local media reports, the judge rejected Narne’s request to conceal his face from television cameras, ordered him to surrender his passport, and kept his bail at USD 5 million (around Rs 48 crore). If convicted, the Indian national could face life imprisonment under Washington state law.

Wife found dead in bathroom 

According to US local media reports citing court documents, Bellevue police were called to the Woodland Commons Apartments on October 27, 2025, after Avinash Narne dialled 911 and reported that his wife was locked inside the bathroom and was not responding.

When officers entered the apartment, they found Sabbineni lying on the bathroom floor. First responders attempted to revive her, but she was declared dead at the scene.

Investigators said Narne initially told them that he had “come home and found this situation.”

The reports added that the couple had entered into an arranged marriage just four months before Sabbineni was found dead.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office later ruled that Sabbineni died of asphyxia caused by strangulation, following which Bellevue police upgraded the case from a suspicious death to a homicide investigation.

Investigators have also alleged that Narne was in a secret romantic relationship with another woman in India at the time of his wife’s death. According to the probe, Narne remained in contact with his alleged girlfriend even immediately after the incident.

How did the police decode the case?

Investigators have relied heavily on digital evidence to build the murder case. According to US local media reports, police have cited WhatsApp chats, electronic door-lock records and other digital evidence in the probable cause documents.

 Investigators say the electronic records showed that no one other than Narne entered the apartment around the time Sabbineni died.

The reports also state that during questioning, Narne spontaneously referred to a deleted photograph of his wife’s body, a detail that investigators have cited as an important part of the evidence trail.

While prosecutors claim the digital trail points to a premeditated killing, Narne has denied any role in his wife’s death.

During Monday’s hearing, the judge noted that the case involved allegations that Narne killed his wife and observed that his identity was not in dispute. The court also ordered him to surrender his passport and retained his bail at USD 5 million.

Narne remains lodged in King County Jail as the case moves towards trial.

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