The possible extradition of a man who flew to India before his wife was found in a garbage bin could be easier than expected after he renounced Indian citizenship.
The body of Chaithanya ‘Swetha’ Madhagani, 30, was found in a green wheelie bin on Mount Pollock Road in Buckley, west of Geelong, Victoria, on March 9.
Homicide detectives have said they want to speak to Ms Madhagani’s husband, Ashok Raj Varikuppala, about the death.
The couple became Australian citizens in an attempt to build a life outside their home country of India. The Herald Sun reported.
The Indian Constitution does not allow dual citizenship, making Mr Varikuppala’s possible extradition easier because he is classified as a foreigner.
Homicide detectives have said they want to speak to Ms Madhagani’s husband, Ashok Raj Varikuppala, about the death.
A murder investigation was launched after the body of Chaithanya ‘Swetha’ Madhagani was found in a rubbish bin at their home in Buckley, west of Geelong, in March.
It is believed that Mr Varikuppala took their three-month-old child to India before arriving unannounced at Ms Madhagani’s home and handing him over to them.
The Herald Sun reports that during this conversation he confessed to killing Ms Madhagani by strangulation and begged for forgiveness.
“As soon as I put my hand on my grandson’s head, his father, Ashok, knelt down, grabbed my feet and started crying. He said, ‘I’m sorry for what I did, Chaithanya is no more, I killed her’ father, Balshetty Madhagani, told the publication.
An extradition request must first include an order of evidence to be presented in court as part of a criminal prosecution.
That order will be passed on to Attorney General Mark Dreyfus, which will then be shared with Indian officials through diplomatic channels.
A similar request was granted by Indian officials in January 2023 for the extradition of Rajwinder Singh, an Australian citizen of Indian origin.
Singh is accused of stabbing 24-year-old Toyah Cordingley to death while walking her dog on a Queensland beach in October 2018.
He was returned to Australia and is awaiting trial on July 22, 2024.
Investigators have said they want to speak to Mr Varikuppala about the death (photo, police at home)
The man took their toddler to India and dropped them off at Ms Madhagani’s family, where he reportedly admitted to killing her by strangulation.
Daily Mail Australia previously revealed that two people allegedly broke into the family’s home and stole a car just four days before the mother was found dead.
Police then arrested a man and a woman at a property on Kiely Avenue in Werribee at around 1pm on March 13 and found a vehicle taken from the Point Cook address.
A police spokesperson revealed that investigators “do not believe the burglary is related to the current Homicide Unit investigation relating to this property.”
Friends have since described Ms Madhagani as ‘a perfect woman and a perfect mother’ who lived for her son.
Ms. Madhagani often cooked and shared food and invited people to her home, friends said.
A neighbor said he was ‘in disbelief’ at the news and that his son had attended a birthday party for the couple’s child.
He had known the family for three years,
“They’re a very good, nice family, I’ve never seen them argue,” he said.