Body of Point Cook woman Chaithanya “Swetha” Madhagani to be delivered to family in India
The body of a mother who was allegedly murdered and dumped in a wheelie bin is due to be delivered to grieving family members in India this weekend.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The body of a mother who was allegedly murdered and dumped in a wheelie bin is due to be delivered to grieving family members in India this weekend.
Point Cook woman Chaithanya “Swetha” Madhagani’s body was to be flown to Hyderabad on Saturday to be with her heartbroken father and extended family after she was found dead on March 9.
The slain mother’s body was found in a locked wheelie bin on Mount Pollock Rd in Buckley, west of Geelong, two weeks ago.
It’s understood police in both Victoria and in India are yet to make any arrests over the 35-year-old’s death that has rocked family members across two cities.
That is despite Ms Madhagani’s husband allegedly confessing to killing his wife, detailing how he ended her life and where her remains were being kept.
Husband Ashok Raj Varikuppala allegedly confessed to his wife’s parents in India, telling them he suffocated her and dumped her in a bin before fleeing Australia.
Ms Madhagani’s father, Balshetty, told this masthead his son-in-law should be jailed.
“We were taken aback, shocked, numb and tears were rolling down,” Mr Madhagani said last week.
“We were devastated on hearing this, we didn’t know what was happening, my wife fell silent apart from continuously crying.”
The homicide squad in Victoria continue to investigate the mother’s death but the extradition of the accused killer could take months.
EARLIER
It comes after two people were arrested over an alleged break-in of the Point Cook home of the woman whose body was found dumped in a wheelie bin early last week.
Police believe two opportunistic thieves from Werribee broke into the Mirka Way home where Chaithanya “Swetha” Madhagani had lived with her husband and young son about 10.30am on March 13 before stealing a car from the address.
The break-in came just four days after the grisly discovery of Ms Madhagani’s body in a paddock west of Geelong, with Ms Madhagani’s husband Ashok Raj Varikuppala arriving at her parents’ home in India and allegedly confessing to suffocating her.
Mr Varikuppala flew to India after the death of Ms Madhagani with the couple’s four-year-old son, appearing at the victim’s parent’s doorstep and detailing how he suffocated her.
Detectives from the Melton Crime Investigation Unit arrested a 32-year-old man and woman at a Kiely Ave home in Werribee at 1pm on the day of the alleged break-in.
The man has been charged with burglary and theft of motor vehicle and has been remanded in custody to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on April 5.
The woman was released pending further inquiries and the investigation remains ongoing.
Police do not believe the burglary is connected to the death of Ms Madhagani.
‘Don’t know what happened’: Erin’s tears as court hears from child
Accused mushroom cook killer Erin Patterson became teary as her daughter gave evidence about the lunch at the centre of her mum’s murder trial, with the jury also hearing she said “she was thinking of taking the kids on a cruise” when hospitalised.
Wild police chase of kids that took allegedly stolen car from Geelong gym to Sydney
Wild video footage has captured four children allegedly travelling from Geelong to Sydney in a stolen car overnight on Wednesday, hurling items at police pursuing them on one of the harbour city’s busiest motorways — with a door hanging open.