Indian Techie Avinash Narne Arrested in Washington for Wife’s Alleged Murder; Investigators Allege Premeditated Killing
An Indian software engineer from Telangana, Avinash Narne, has been arrested in the US state of Washington on charges of first-degree murder in connection with the death of his wife, Raajitha Sabbineni. The arrest comes nearly nine months after Sabbineni was found dead inside the couple’s Bellevue apartment in October 2025, following what authorities initially treated as a suspicious death.
According to investigators, the couple had entered into an arranged marriage in June 2025, but Narne allegedly maintained a secret romantic relationship with a woman in India. Prosecutors claim the marriage had deteriorated rapidly and that the accused planned the killing to continue the affair. Authorities have charged him with premeditated first-degree murder, one of the most serious offences under Washington law.
Court documents allege that Narne strangled his wife inside their apartment before attempting to stage the scene as a medical emergency. Investigators say his version of events was contradicted by electronic door-lock records, digital evidence and forensic findings, which indicated that no one else had entered the apartment during the period when he claimed to have gone out to buy medicine and ice cream.
The investigation also uncovered evidence of extensive communication with the woman in India around the time of the alleged crime. Prosecutors allege Narne made multiple calls to her on the day of the incident and later sent a photograph purportedly showing his wife’s body before deleting the messages. Deleted chats, phone records and digital forensic analysis reportedly became key pieces of evidence supporting the murder charge.
Investigators further examined Narne’s claim that his wife had fallen ill after consuming a smoothie containing cough syrup. Reports indicate that detectives found inconsistencies in his account, while toxicological and forensic findings, along with other circumstantial evidence, led authorities to conclude that the death was not accidental.
Narne has pleaded not guilty to the charge and remains in custody on US$5 million bail. The criminal case is expected to proceed before a Washington court, where prosecutors will seek to establish premeditation, while the defence is expected to challenge the prosecution’s evidence. The case has attracted significant attention in both India and the United States because of the alleged motive, digital trail and the international dimensions of the investigation.
