The accused, Avinash Narne (30), a native of Telangana, was arrested after a nearly nine-month investigation. He is currently in custody and has been charged with first-degree murder. Authorities have set his bail at $5 million (approximately ₹47 crore). If convicted, he could face life imprisonment.

Avinash married Rajita Sabbineni (27) in an arranged marriage on June 5, 2025. About five months later, on October 27, 2025, he called emergency services claiming that his wife had locked herself inside the bathroom and was not responding.

When police forced open the bathroom door, Rajita was found dead. Avinash told investigators that he had been away from home for around 40 minutes and discovered her inside the bathroom after returning.

However, investigators examined the apartment’s smart lock and security system data, which reportedly showed that no one entered or left the apartment during the period Avinash claimed to be away, ruling out the involvement of an intruder.

A post-mortem examination concluded that Rajita died due to strangulation, prompting police to treat the case as a homicide.

During the investigation, police also uncovered evidence that Avinash had allegedly been in a long-term relationship with a woman in India even after entering into the arranged marriage. According to investigators, the woman had attended the couple’s wedding, and the two remained in regular contact afterward.

Police said Avinash spoke to his girlfriend at least four times on the day of the alleged murder. During questioning, he also admitted that he sent her a photograph of Rajita’s body the following day.

Investigators further recovered text messages exchanged between the couple, in which Rajita had repeatedly complained that drinks prepared by her husband tasted unusually bitter. On the day of her death, she reportedly messaged that a smoothie made by Avinash tasted like medicine and cough syrup.

When officers initially arrived at the residence, Avinash claimed that his wife had been unwell and suggested she may have collapsed in the bathroom after consuming cough syrup.

Police spent several months examining digital records, call logs and forensic evidence before re-interviewing Avinash in July 2026, after which he was arrested on charges of first-degree murder.

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