UK Pharmacist Accused of Orchestrating Elaborate Arsenic Poisoning Plot via Swiggy Delivery in Hyderabad
A shocking case of alleged premeditated murder and attempted mass poisoning has emerged from a London courtroom, involving a British citizen of Indian origin. Ajith Kumar Mupparapu, a pharmacist based in the United Kingdom, is accused of masterminding a complex plot that resulted in the death of his mother-in-law and the severe poisoning of his ex-wife and her family in Hyderabad, India. The central method of delivery was as mundane as it was sinister: a Swiggy delivery boy was allegedly paid Rs 2,000 to unknowingly transport arsenic-laced chilli and salt to their apartment.
Extradition Battle Unfolds in Westminster Magistrates' Court
Mupparapu appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, dressed in a grey sweatshirt, to contest India's request for his extradition. He argued against being sent to face trial in India, claiming that some evidence is inadmissible, there is insufficient proof of the charges, and he would face trial delays, overcrowded prisons, and potential torture. His ex-wife, Dr Sirisha Muttavarapu, who resides in the UK, was present in court to witness the proceedings.
Representing the Indian government, counsel James Lewis KC detailed a harrowing narrative of domestic abuse, stalking, and multiple murder conspiracies. According to Lewis, Mupparapu verbally and physically abused Sirisha, her seven-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, and even their puppy repeatedly after their marriage in June 2018 and subsequent move to the UK. The couple separated in August 2022, after which Mupparapu allegedly began stalking and terrorizing Sirisha, prompting her to initiate divorce proceedings.
The Poisoning Plot: From Chemistry Lab to Swiggy Delivery
The court heard how the poisoning scheme was meticulously planned. Mupparapu's sister, Surekha Mupparapu, a chemistry teacher at the Atomic Energy Central School in Hyderabad, allegedly purchased sodium arsenite under the pretense of needing it for the school's chemistry laboratory. She then handed the toxic compound to her brother when he traveled to India in March 2023.
Mupparapu subsequently paid a Swiggy delivery boy Rs 2,000 to deliver a parcel and leave it outside his father-in-law's flat in Hyderabad. The parcel contained ordinary-looking chilli and salt that had been laced with arsenic. In early June 2023, when the family gathered at the Hyderabad apartment for Sirisha's brother's wedding, they consumed home-cooked meals seasoned with these contaminated spices.
The consequences were devastating: all family members fell severely ill with diarrhoea and vomiting. On July 5, 2023, Uma Maheshwari Muttavarapu, Mupparapu's mother-in-law, died in hospital. Medical tests revealed that the other family members had dangerously high levels of arsenic in their systems, and forensic analysis confirmed the presence of arsenic in the spices from their apartment.
Multiple Failed Murder Conspiracies and Motive Revealed
Investigations uncovered that the arsenic poisoning was not Mupparapu's only attempt to harm his in-laws. The court was told that he had a longstanding dispute with his father-in-law, Hanumantha Rao Muttavarapu, over agricultural land, feeling he had been financially cheated. This grievance allegedly fueled a series of failed murder plots targeting Rao throughout 2023.
In January 2023, Mupparapu reportedly hired Mohammed Azeem Khan and Rizwan Khan to kill Rao by staging a road traffic accident. The following month, he arranged for Rs 2 lakh to be paid to Karthik Vemulapally and Mohit Prahaladka, who advertised themselves as contract killers on the dark web, to carry out the murder. Mupparapu allegedly instructed one of his employees, a software engineer, to make these payments without disclosing their purpose.
Additionally, Mupparapu conspired with six others, including the son of the watchman at Rao's flat and Sirisha's cousin, Purnendar, to murder Rao by administering lethal injections of succinylcholine, a drug that causes respiratory failure in large doses. All these plots were unsuccessful, but they paint a picture of relentless and calculated aggression.
The case highlights extreme domestic violence escalating into transnational crime, with modern delivery services unwittingly facilitating a traditional poisoning method. As the extradition hearing continues, Indian authorities are pushing for Mupparapu to face justice in Hyderabad for murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy charges.
