Narsan Lingala and his ex-girlfriend Sandya Reddy detained on the same charge.
In an eye-opening case of marriage gone ugly, an Indian American man Narsan Lingala and his ex-girlfriend Sandya Reddy have been charged on account of hiring a hitman to kill his estranged wife.
Narsan Lingala, 55, who was held without bail, was produced before US Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court on Wednesday. He has been charged with criminal complaint with one count of murder for hire. His ex-girlfriend Sandya Reddy, 52, who also appeared in the court on February 5, on the same charge, was also detained, according to a news release from US Attorney for the District of New Jersey Craig Carpenito.
Lingala used to live in Middlesex County, New Jersey.
The incident happened back in May 2018, when Lingala was in a holding cell at the Middlesex County Superior Courthouse, while he awaited a court hearing.
While Lingala was there, he asked another inmate if he knew anyone who could kill his estranged wife. Lingala was then introduced to an undercover agent who posed as a hitman under the direction of law enforcement.
Over time, Lingala, along with the undercover agent, planned to meet. Lingala then traveled from Indiana to New Jersey and met the agent outside a mall. At this point Lingala also introduced his Reddy to the agent and discussed the killing.
Lingala categorically stated to the undercover cop: “I want that woman to be out of my life… totally. Never again. She never comes back.†The conversation was recorded. The undercover cop then stated, “You want me to take care of her?” to which Lingala said, “Yeah.” The undercover cop then said, “She’s done, I’m going to kill her. End of story.” Lingala responded, “Yeah. End of story.”
Lingala then gave out details such as his estranged wife’s name, address, phone number and age, along with her work details and her schedule in order for the “hitman†to plan his move. The conversation took place inside a car with Lingala, Reddy and the undercover cop present. They then discussed the money and it was agreed that Lingala would pay between $5,000 to $10,000 for the job. The cop, as an undercover, demanded a down payment and Lingala asked for two weeks to pay him $1,000.
Soon after the meeting, the cops arrested Lingala and Reddy. The murder-for-hire charge is punishable by maximum of 10-years in prison and also entails a fine of $250,000.
Both Lingala and Reddy are residents of Nobleville, Indiana. Lingala married his wife in 1995. The couple has two children. He filed for divorce in 2011. But the two were unable to agree on the financial terms of the matrimonial settlement.