A software engineer from Telangana has been charged with the alleged murder of his wife in Bellevue, Washington, nearly nine months after her death, after an extensive investigation by local law enforcement. The accused strangled his wife and attempted to disguise the death as a medical emergency, prosecutors say.
The accused, Avinash Narne (30), has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Raajitha Sabbineni (27). The couple married in 2025 and lived in Washington state. Raajitha was found dead in the couple’s apartment after Narne contacted emergency services, claiming she had become unresponsive, said an investigation.
The circumstances of the death at the time of death were not clear. But investigators conducted forensic examinations of electronic devices, internet search history, surveillance footage, and phone records. The investigation uncovered evidence that led detectives to conclude the killing was not accidental, the charges said.
Investigators also contend Narne had a long-term romantic relationship with another woman in India before and after his marriage. Police say digital evidence, including cell phone records and messages, is at the center of the prosecution’s case. He contacted the woman around the time of the incident, they have also alleged, and state detectives are looking at additional electronic evidence they gathered during the investigation.
Court documents also state that investigators believe that the accused tried to stage the scene to make the death look like illness or self-harm. Forensic evidence and digital evidence, however, are against that view, and the murder charge was filed.
Narne was arrested and appeared in court in Washington after the investigation. The court ordered that he stay in custody on a high bail amount while the case goes through the process.
The case has attracted a lot of attention both in India and in the United States as it involves an Indian couple living abroad, and investigators rely on digital forensic evidence to reconstruct the events leading to the woman's death. Electronic communications, internet activity, forensic pathology, and witness testimony are frequently central to homicide investigations of this kind, legal experts say.
The allegations made by prosecutors are still subject to judicial review. Under the legal system, the accused is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The prosecution is required to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, and the defense is entitled to challenge the evidence they are given.
The incident has also reignited debate in the domestic violence community, and early intervention in abusive relationships, and the need for thorough investigations in cases of suspicious deaths. “The investigation was evidence-driven,” the charges were based on months of forensic and digital analysis in Washington, said authorities.
The court’s decisions will determine criminal responsibility based on the evidence from the trial of the case as the case moves forward.
