IT Executive Accused of Arsenic Murder in Bitter Family Land Dispute
A UK-based IT boss allegedly murdered his mother-in-law by spiking her food with arsenic as part of a protracted family conflict over land, a court has heard. Ajith Mupparapu, a businessman residing in Maidenhead, Berkshire, is accused of orchestrating a series of bungled attempts to kill his father-in-law, Hanumantha Rao, in India following the breakdown of his five-year marriage to paediatrician Dr Sirisha Muttavarapu.
Alleged Poisoning Plot Unfolds
Mupparapu, who faced accusations of physically abusing his estranged wife, reportedly harboured a grievance against her father concerning land holdings in India. Prosecutors allege he enlisted his sister, Surekha Mupparapu, a chemistry teacher in India, to purchase arsenic. He then mixed the toxic substance into cooking ingredients like chilli and salt, paying a local courier approximately 2,000 rupees, equivalent to a day's wages, to deliver the tainted groceries to his in-laws' family home.
In June 2023, as the family prepared for a wedding, Dr Muttavarapu, her father Mr Rao, and her mother Uma Maheshwari all fell gravely ill after consuming home-cooked meals, initially suspecting contaminated water. Mrs Maheshwari's condition deteriorated, leading to her death in hospital the following month. Mupparapu is now contesting extradition to India, where he faces charges of murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to murder.
Multiple Failed Attempts and Violent Behaviour
James Lewis KC, representing the Indian government, stated that the 46-year-old Mupparapu "conspired and hatched a plan to eliminate" Mr Rao, with "multiple attempts" on his life. Early in 2023, Mupparapu allegedly tried to stage a road accident to kill his father-in-law and later sought contract killers on the dark web, though these plans "didn't get anywhere," the court was told.
Later that year, he is accused of plotting to inject Mr Rao with succinylcholine, a skeletal muscle relaxant, but conspirators were arrested before execution. The hearing also revealed claims of Mupparapu's violent temper, including repeated abuse of his wife, installation of secret cameras in their home after moving out, public attempts to undermine her appearance, and setting fire to agricultural land owned by his father-in-law.
Legal Defence and Extradition Concerns
Mupparapu's legal team argues that insufficient evidence exists to prosecute their client and warns that extradition poses a "real risk of suffering torture or mistreatment at the hands of the police and investigating authorities" in India. Ten individuals have already been charged in connection with the various alleged plots, according to court proceedings. The extradition hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court is scheduled to continue throughout the week, delving deeper into the complex international case.
