Long process to bring accused killer husband Ashok Raj Varikuppala back from India

Authorities have revealed the next steps in getting an accused killer husband back from India after he confessed to murdering his wife in Melbourne.

Authorities face a potentially long process to bring accused killer husband Ashok Raj Varikuppala back from India.

Mr Varikuppala left Australia in the period before the body of his wife, Chaithanya “Swetha” Madhagani was found in a wheelie bin at Buckley, near Geelong, last Saturday.

The homicide squad is investigating whether Ms Madhagani had earlier been murdered at their Point Cook home.

The Herald Sun revealed on Wednesday allegations that Mr Varikuppala had confessed to his wife’s parents that he had killed Ms Madhagani.

It could take many months for him to be extradited.

Victoria Police must first put together a brief of evidence detailing any allegations against him, something which would normally be expected to take weeks or, at worst, months.

The brief would be presented to Federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and, if approved, an application would be sent via diplomatic channels to Indian authorities.

It would then be up to a local court to consider the case for extradition.

Ashok Raj and Chaithanya Madhagani in 2017. Source: Facebook

Authorities face a long process to bring Mr Varikuppala back from India. Source: Facebook

Victoria Police on Wednesday declined to comment on the matter.

But a source said the force was committed to achieving justice for Ms Madhagani.

After returning to India with their young son, Mr Varikuppala reportedly turned up at Ms Madhagani’s parents’ house in Hyderabad where he confessed to the killing.

Her father Balshetty Madhagani told the Herald Sun the suspect arrived unannounced and said the death was unintentional.

“I didn’t want to kill her. We had an argument, so I held her mouth and nose by my hand and she suffocated to death,” Mr Reddy recalled his son-in-law as saying.

A suspect in another Australian murder was extradited from India soon after being arrested recently.

Rajwinder Singh, who is an Australian citizen, is accused of murdering Queensland woman Toyah Cordingley on a beach north of Cairns in 2018.

Singh, 38, boarded a flight to India hours after police found the body of Ms Cordingley in sand dunes.

There is optimism there will be no repeat of the Puneet Puneet saga, which has dragged on for 15 years.

Puneet fled to India in 2009 as he awaited sentence for a drink-drive collision in which he killed university student Dean Hofstee a year earlier.