An Indian consultant living in the UK allegedly killed his mother-in-law with arsenic and hired assassins to murder his ex-wife and her family after their divorce.
Ajith Kumar Mupparapu, 45, lived with his oncologist wife, Sirisha Muttavarapu in 2022 in Berkshire when she filed for divorce after five years of marriage.
Mupparapu is then said to have hired nine killers from his home to try to murder her as well as her family in Hyderabad, India, between January and August 2023.
But earlier this year, he was arrested in Maidenhead by extradition unit officers carrying out an ‘accusation warrant’ from India.
Mupparapu is accused of plotting to murder Dr Muttavarapu, her brother M Purnender, his wife Sasirekha and her father Hanumantha Rao.
He is also accused of killing his former mother-in-law, Uma Maheshwari, 60, who died on 5 July 2023, nine days after consuming the spices.
After being arrested on January 7, he has now appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court via videolink from HMP Wandsworth and was remanded in custody until August 7.
District Judge Michael Snow said Mupparapu should remain behind bars, adding: ‘The defendant is too big of a risk if he is allowed back into the community until his next extradition hearing.’
Murder-accused Ajith Kumar Mupparapu appeared via videolink at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, pictured, on Thursday
The court heard that Mupparapu allegedly sent a food delivery agent with arsenic-laden cooking ingredients to her ex-wife’s parents’ house in March 2023, and his mother-in-law later died.
He is also accused of attempting to set up a car crash in order to kill his father-in-law, Hanumantha Rao.
Representing the Indian government, Kiran Gohal previously said: ‘His surrender is sought by India, having been accused of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to murder.
‘Mr Mupparapu was married to Dr Sirisha Muttavarapu was married on 24 August in 2018 in India.
‘There was a breakdown in the relationship, the couple then separated and then later divorced.’
After the divorce, Mupparapu went to ‘extensive lengths’ to murder the family, it is claimed.
Ms Gohal said: ‘He hired two individuals and conspired to kill his wife’s father in a road traffic collision.
After appearing at court, he was remanded into custody at HMP Wandsworth, pictured
‘His sister purchased the arsenic, which he then mixed with cooking ingredients, which were sent to his wife’s parents’ address.
‘Her mother died, and one of the causes was arsenic poisoning.’
Mupparapu also planned to inject the family with a skeletal muscle relaxant known as Succinylcholine before arrests were made, it was said.
‘There have been several occasions where Mr Mupparapu has hired others to kill members of his family in India,’ added Ms Gohal.
Mupparapu was last working as an IT consultant and has lived in the UK for 18 years, the court heard.
His final extradition hearing is set to take place on November 7.
He allegedly sent a food delivery agent with arsenic-laden cooking ingredients to her ex-wife’s parent’s house in March 2023, and his mother-in-law later died.
Mupparapu is also said to have attempted to set up a car accident to kill his father-in-law, Hanumantha Rao.
Kiran Gohal, for the Indian government, earlier said: ‘The arrest warrant states Mupparapu has been charged in India with a heinous crime of Murder and Attempting to murder with Arsenic poisoning and Succinycholine injection on his estranged wife Dr Sirisha Muttavarapu and her family.
‘Mr Ajith Mupparapu had executed multiple plans to kill Sirisha’s family members from January 2023 to August 2023 until six of the accused were arrested in August 2023 – He hired people to cause road traffic accident to Sirisha’s father, Hired contract killers; ARSENIC Poisoning; Succinylcholine injections’.
