Bengaluru doctor murder case: Everything that has happened so far
What's the story
The Marathahalli Police in Bengaluru on Tuesday arrested Dr. Mahendra Reddy for the alleged murder of his wife, Dr. Kruthika M Reddy. The 29-year-old dermatologist died in April, less than a year after their wedding. It initially appeared like a case of gastritis gone wrong, but this has been debunked, with the husband now accused of administering an overdose of Propofol, a powerful anesthetic, to his wife. "We had suspicions from...the day my sister died," said Kritika's sister, Dr. Nikhita.
Affair
'She was completely healthy'
Nikhita said her family had insisted on a postmortem, but Mahendra staged an emotional drama, saying he couldn't bear to see her body being cut. The family alleged that Mahendra was having an affair and had been administering unnecessary medicines and drips to Kruthika. "She was completely healthy. My parents treated Mahendra like their own son. But later, we found out about his immoral relationship," Nikhita told reporters on Thursday.
Claims
Mahendra wanted to build a hospital
According to The News Minute, Mahendra had become increasingly frustrated when Kruthika's family refused to provide financial support for building a hospital. Her father, K Muni Reddy, stated that he had offered assistance in setting up a smaller clinic instead. "Our daughter placed entire trust in her spouse. But the same medical knowledge that may have saved her life was used to end hers," he said. "He didn't even agree to register their marriage officially," Nikhita said.
Custody status
Accused in police custody, investigations on
Investigators also suspect that Mahendra was enraged after discovering Kruthika had long-standing gastric and metabolic issues, which her family allegedly did not disclose before their marriage. On April 21, Mahendra started treating Kruthika at home for what he called gastrointestinal discomfort. He returned on the 23rd to inject another intravenous dose. That day, his wife complained of pain at the IV site, but he told her over WhatsApp not to remove it.
Sister
Sister insisted on filing case
At midnight, he went to her parents' house in Marathahalli and administered another injection. The following morning, she was found unresponsive. When Kruthika was brought to Cauvery Hospital and proclaimed dead, Mahendra insisted that no post-mortem was required. But Nikitha refused to accept it as a natural death, prompting police to register an unnatural-death case.
Investigation progress
What test results found
An Unnatural Death Report was filed at Marathahalli Police Station. As part of the investigation, the police collected evidence, including medical items used in the act, and sent viscera samples to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). FSL experts confirmed the presence of the sedative Propofol in Dr. Kruthika's organs. Mahendra, a general surgeon at Victoria Hospital, was finally arrested on October 14 for allegedly murdering his wife with what police called "clinical precision."
Accusations made
Father donates ₹3 crore house to ISKCON
"Mahendra had planned his wife's murder meticulously. He knew her medical vulnerabilities and used his professional knowledge to exploit them," said Whitefield DCP M Parashuram. Her father has since donated the house, now worth ₹3 crore, he built for his late daughter to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). "I built that house only to see my daughter living happily with her husband and kids. Her memories haunt me," the retired electrical engineer told The Indian Express.