Chilling final texts of wife before new husband ‘strangled her and sent photo to mistress’ | World | News

An Indian engineer living in the US has been charged with murdering his wife after a chilling investigation revealed her final texts – and a horrifying photo sent to another woman. Avinash Narne, 30, allegedly strangled his 27-year-old wife, Raajitha Sabbineni, inside their Washington apartment before attempting to stage the scene to avoid suspicion.

The couple, originally from Telangana, India, had only been married for four months before the tragedy unfolded in October 2025. According to US court documents, Sabbineni had repeatedly complained to her husband that the drinks he prepared for her tasted unusually bitter. On the day of her death, she sent a final, eerie message to Narne, warning him that a smoothie he had mixed for her tasted like “medicine” and “cough syrup“. Hours later, she was dead.

On October 27, 2025, a seemingly frantic Narne dialled emergency services. He is accused of spinning a web of lies to dispatchers, claiming he had just returned to their apartment after running normal errands, only to find a locked door and silence. Narne told call handlers that his wife was trapped inside the bathroom and unresponsive to his shouts.

When emergency crews rushed to the scene, they were forced to smash their way through the locked bathroom door. Inside, they discovered Ms Sabbineni lying motionless on the floor. Despite the efforts of first responders, she was tragically declared dead at the scene.

The breakthrough in the case came when forensic pathologists conducted an autopsy. The medical examiner determined that Ms Sabbineni had not suffered a sudden medical episode. Instead, she died from asphyxia caused by hands-on strangulation. The autopsy findings prompted authorities to officially launch a full-blown homicide investigation.

Following a nine-month digital and financial investigation, police uncovered a possible sinister motive.

Detectives claim Narne had been involved in a secret, ongoing romantic relationship with another woman back in India. He had reportedly spoken to his mistress four times on the day of the murder and remained in contact with her afterwards.

Court documents allege that shortly after strangling his wife, Narne took a photograph of Ms Sabbineni’s body and sent it directly to his lover.

“Bellevue Police launched an investigation with detectives determining the female’s death appeared suspicious,” a police spokesperson confirmed.

Narne has been arrested and is currently being held on a $5million (£3.9million) bond. If convicted of the murder under Washington state law, he faces life imprisonment.