An IT consultant accused of orchestrating a plot to wipe out his ex-wife and her entire family using nine hired contract killers and arsenic-laced curry is fighting a legal battle to avoid extradition to India.
Ajith Kumar Mupparapu, 46, was living in Berkshire with oncologist Dr Sirisha Muttavarapu but she filed for divorce after five years of marriage in 2022.
Mupparapu allegedly hired nine contract killers from his home to kill his ex-wife and her extended family in Hyderabad between January and August 2023.
He is accused of killing his former mother-in-law, Uma Maheshwari, 60, who died on 5 July, 2023, nine days after consuming spices laced with arsenic.
Mupparapu is accused of plotting, along with his science teacher sister Surekh Mupparapu, to murder his ex-wife Dr Muttavarapu, her brother M Purnender and his wife Sasirekha and her father Hanumantha Rao.
He was also said to have a grievance with his father-in-law over some land in India.
Mupparapu was arrested in Maidenhead on January 17 last year by extradition unit officers carrying out an ‘accusation warrant’ from India.
He is fighting extradition to India and appeared in the dock at Westminster Magistrates’ Court wearing a grey prison sweatshirt, taking notes.
Ajith Mupparapu, 46, allegedly hired contract killers to murder his ex-wife and her family, Westminster Magistrates Court (pictured) heard
Defending Mupparapu, James Stansfeld argued that his team were served with redacted documents which were ‘materially different’ from those seen in court.
Representing the government of India, James Lewis KC said: ‘This is not only a dreadful argument but it’s completely hopeless.’
He said the only parts of the documents which were redacted were personal information such as ‘dates of birth, home address of witnesses, email addresses and bank accounts’.
‘My learned friend is pushing the technical point, as he knows jolly well’, said Mr Lewis. ‘This is just a game they’re playing.
‘You can bet your bottom dollar nothing will come out of it. It’s a technical point.’
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring asked: ‘What is the prejudice that there is to your client in relation to any extradition that he raises, if [the redactions] are no more that what I’m told, [ie personal information]?’
Mr Stansfeld said: ‘The prejudice is clear. It causes delays to the proceedings.
‘If we were provided with an unredacted copy, we would then be under professional obligation to review the documents to make sure there is nothing prejudicial.
‘That’s going to take time.
‘Mr Mupparapu has been in custody over a year, and he’s in custody now, and this would cause delays.’
Mr Stansfeld said there were ‘thousands’ of redactions, and gave as an example an address has been redacted which is ‘material to the investigation’.
Mr Goldspring said: ‘A copy of the un-redacted version is to be served on the defence forthwith.
‘I’m then going to give the defence an opportunity to consider how long it will take them to familiar themselves within these documents.’
Mr Lewis earlier told the court how Mupparapu was abusive to ‘Sirisha, her daughter and family dog’ as soon as they came to the UK from India.
‘She reported his abusive and controlling behaviour to the police. They separated on 29 August 2022.
‘At some time around March 2023, if not before Mupparapu and his sister, Surekh Mupparapu agreed to kill Sirisha’s family by arsenic poisoning. To this end, on 6 March 2023, Surekha, who is a science teacher, purchased arsenic in the form of sodium arsenite in the name of the school at which she was employed as a chemistry teacher.
‘[Mupparapu used a Swiggy food delivery boy to deliver arsenic-laced spices and salt to Sirisha’s parents’ flat.’
The spices were used in curries eaten by Sirisha’s parents and brother during her brother’s wedding.
He is also charged with attempting to murder his brother-in-law, Hanumantha Rao by administering succinylcholine injection, which paralyses the victim.
The hearing continues.
