The body of Chaithanya “Swetha” Madhagani was discovered in a rubbish bin outside of Geelong over the weekend. She was allegedly murdered by her husband.
Madhagani is being remembered by those who knew her as a “lovely person” and “empathetic woman”. She worked as a food safety compliance regulatory expert and was a mother to a three-year-old boy. She lived with her family, including her husband, and was involved a tight-knit Indian community in Geelong.
On Saturday, her body was discovered in a wheelie bin on an isolated road in Buckley, west of Geelong. At the time, Victoria police released a statement saying detectives are “treating the death as suspicious”.
Authorities said Madhagani and the suspected perpetrator were believed to be “known to one another” and the “offender may have flown overseas”.
It later came to light that Madhagani’s husband, Ashok Raj Varikuppala reportedly flew from Australia to India with her three-year-old son. It is understood Varikuppala gave the boy to Madhagani’s parents in India.
As the alleged suspect is overseas, police are not currently investigating the alleged crime; to do so, Australia’s Attorney General, Mark Dreyfus, will have to issue an international arrest warrant under the Extradition Act, which can take 45-60 days.
The Attorney General is yet to publicly comment on the case.
Tarang Chawla’s response
Domestic violence activist Tarang Chawla has called out the problem of “race-baiting” in discussions around the alleged murder of Chaithanya “Swetha” Madhagani.
Chawla, the co-founder of Not One More Niki, has been a vocal activist in the family, domestic and sexual violence space since his sister, Nikita Chawla, was murdered by her husband in 2015.
After posting on his Instagram about Madhagani’s alleged murder on Saturday, Tarang Chawla received a comment from Dean Wells, a former reality TV personality, who has more than 85,000 followers on Instagram.
“Sounds like a cultural thing,” Wells wrote. “Wonder why he fled back to India?”
Chawla responded to the comment by posting an Instagram reel, explaining that men’s violence and attitudes to women are the problem.
“So is this a cultural problem as Dean suggests? Absolutely… It is a cultural problem,” Chawla said.
“But when I talk about culture, I’m not talking about race and ethnicity, I’m talking about ‘culture’. I’m talking about the beliefs, the values, the norms, the traditions and the stereotypes.
“The things that are passed down from one generation to the other. The things that we absorb and learn through popular culture, through social media, through the world around us.”
In Australia, 14 women have had their lives stolen from male violence in 2024, according to Destroy the Joint’s Counting Dead Women.
Last week, the alleged murderer of Samantha Murphy, 22-year-old Patrick Orren Stephenson, a white Australian man, was arrested by police.
“Men killing women is not a problem of one geography or another, or one race and ethnicity or another,” Chawla said.
“It’s a universal problem. It’s happening everywhere.
“This isn’t a problem of certain ethnicities or another. This is a problem of men’s entitlement and attitudes towards women. That’s a cultural problem.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au for online chat and video call services.
If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit http://www.ntv.org.au.
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