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Bengaluru murder: 5 chilling facts about doctor husband killing doctor wife
Dr Krutika M Reddy was found dead six months ago, and her husband Mahendra Reddy, also a doctor, was arrested for the alleged murder
Initially thought to be a mysterious death from natural causes, a Bengaluru dermatologist’s demise has turned out to be an alleged murder at the hands of her husband.
Dr Krutika M Reddy was found dead six months ago, and her husband, Mahendra Reddy, also a doctor, was arrested for the alleged murder on October 14.
Mahendra Reddy, a 32-year-old general surgeon from Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru, allegedly killed his wife by administering a fatal dose of anaesthesia and passing it off as a natural death.
Police said the arrest of Dr Mahendra Reddy followed forensic confirmation that Dr Kruthika Reddy died from respiratory failure caused by anaesthetic substances.
The couple had married on May 26, 2024, but investigators said their relationship quickly deteriorated.
Chilling facts about the Bengaluru IV murder
- Meticulous planning: According to the investigators, the accused Dr Mahendra Reddy planned the murder of his wife meticulously, using his medical expertise and her health vulnerabilities. Police said Mahendra had become upset after learning that his wife suffered from long-standing gastric and metabolic disorders — information her family had allegedly withheld before the marriage. “He knew her medical vulnerabilities and used his professional knowledge to exploit them. The evidence shows deliberate and precise use of anaesthetic drugs,” Whitefield DCP M. Parashuram said.
- Anaesthesia through IV: Kruthika was staying at her father’s home in Marathahalli when she reportedly fell unconscious due to illness and fatigue. During that period, Mahendra visited her under the pretext of offering medical care and allegedly administered intrevenous (IV) injections containing anaesthetic agents over two days. On April 23, 2025, she lost consciousness again and was rushed to a private hospital, where doctors declared her “brought dead,” the DCP said.
- No CPR: After Kruthika began feeling uneasy due to the first IV dose, Mahendra reportedly took her to her parents’ home, saying she needed rest, but later returned and gave her another IV dose, which further worsened her condition. On April 23, two days after the first dose, Kruthika complained of pain at the IV site, but Mahendra allegedly advised her over WhatsApp not to remove it. At around 9:30 PM that night, he went to her room and administered the injection. Kruthika was found unresponsive the next day, but despite being a doctor, Mahendra did not perform CPR on her. She was later declared dead.
- Sister's suspicion: At first, Dr Krutika’s family accepted the explanation that she had died naturally, and police filed an Unnatural Death Report (UDR) based on the hospital memo after her sister, Dr Nikitha Reddy, insisted on knowing the cause of death. Six months later, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) detected traces of anaesthesia in her body. Investigators concluded that respiratory failure caused by anaesthetic overdose had led to her death, prompting police to reclassify the case as murder and arrest Mahendra on October 14, 2025.
- Trust proved fatal: Kruthika’s father, Muni Reddy, who filed the complaint, said his daughter’s trust in her husband proved fatal. “Our daughter believed her marriage was built on respect and love,” he said. “But the same medical knowledge that should have healed others was used to end her life. She dedicated herself to helping people. Justice for Kruthika is justice for every woman who trusts and loves with honesty.”
Mahendra Reddy has been booked under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). He remains in police custody while investigators trace the source of the drugs and reconstruct the events leading to the crime.
