A Bengaluru-based doctor has been arrested for allegedly killing his wife, who was also a doctor, by overdosing her with an anaesthetic drug at their home in the Munnekollal locality. The arrest comes six months after the woman doctor’s death.
According to reports, Dr Mahendra Reddy, a general surgeon, killed his wife by administering an overdose of an anaesthetic drug on April 21.
The victim, Dr Kruthika Reddy, a dermatologist, was rushed to a nearby hospital by her husband, where she was declared brought dead.
Initially, a case of unnatural death was registered at the Marathahalli Police Station. The couple, both doctors at Victoria Hospital, had married in May last year.
After Kruthika’s death, the Scene of Crime Officer (SOCO) recovered a cannula set, injection tube, and other medical equipment, which later became key evidence linking Mahendra to his wife’s death.
Internal organ specimens were retrieved and sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for analysis to determine the cause of death. The laboratory findings revealed the presence of Propofol, a potent anaesthetic drug, in the deceased’s tissue samples, suggesting foul play.
Following the receipt of this report, the deceased woman’s father filed a formal complaint on October 13, accusing his son-in-law of killing his daughter by administering the anaesthetic substance.
The Marathahalli Police acted promptly, arresting the suspect in Manipal, a coastal Karnataka university town, the next day, October 14.
Investigators believe the accused may have used his medical expertise to disguise the murder as a natural death.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh stated, “The evidence gathered so far implicates the husband in this crime. He was the one who initially brought her to the hospital without mentioning any suspicious circumstances. His explanation was that she had health issues and was under treatment. However, we have now discovered she was injected with sedative drugs, which indicates malicious intent and warrants a thorough investigation.”
The suspect remains in police custody while the investigation continues.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the medical community, with authorities probing whether the alleged crime was premeditated.
