Published Jul 10, 2026 | 7:45 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 10, 2026 | 7:45 PM
Crime
Synopsis: The accused, Avinash Narne, was arrested by Bellevue police on 26 June and later charged with first-degree murder. His wife, 27-year-old Rajitha Sabbineni, was found unresponsive in the couple’s apartment in Bellevue on 27 October 2025. Avinash and Rajitha were married for only four months at the time of her death.
A 30-year-old software engineer from Telangana has been arrested in the United States in connection with the death of his wife nearly nine months after she was found dead in their Bellevue home in Washington state.
The accused, Avinash Narne, was arrested by Bellevue police on 26 June and later charged with first-degree murder. His wife, 27-year-old Rajitha Sabbineni, was found unresponsive in the couple’s apartment in Bellevue on 27 October 2025. Avinash and Rajitha were married for only four months at the time of her death.
Police said Avinash had called emergency services on the day of the death, claiming he had returned home to find his wife locked in the bathroom in an unconscious state. However, investigators later said the circumstances did not match his account, and that a detailed review of phone records, messages and other evidence raised serious doubts about his explanation.
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In December 2025, the King County medical examiner ruled her death a homicide caused by asphyxia due to strangulation.
Bellevue police discovered that Rajitha had sent texts complaining that drinks her husband prepared for her tasted unusually bitter or like medicine. Police are said to view those messages as part of the broader pattern that helped them build their case.
According to reports, investigators also found that Avinash had been involved in a secret romantic relationship for several years with a woman in India, even after his marriage. They have allegedly been engaged since 2024, despite her family’s resistance. The woman reportedly attended the Sabbineni-Narne wedding in June 2025.
The court documents mention several text messages exchanged between Avinash and the woman in which he professed his love to her. He allegedly called her multiple times at the time of his wife’s death and continued exchanging texts.
A text message that stood out to the police was the one in which the woman told Avinash, “This happened in your dream.”
Following a months-long investigation, the police filed charges at the King County Superior Court in Washington on 1 July. Avinash has been charged with one count of first-degree homicide.
Avinash pleaded not guilty to the charges on 7 July. He is currently in custody on a bail amount reported at $5 million. The case remains under judicial process.
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(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Sreshta Ladegaam)
