A 45-year-old anaesthetist was found stabbed to death inside his apartment in Karnataka's Dharwad, while his eight-year-old son suffered serious stab injuries in what police suspect was a case of domestic violence. The victim's wife, who is also a doctor, has been taken into custody for questioning.
The deceased, Dr Kiran Honnannavar, worked at a private hospital and lived with his family at Ranka Stello Apartments on Karnataka University Road, news agency PTI reported.
According to police, Honnannavar was found lying in a pool of blood on a mattress with fatal stab injuries to his neck on Wednesday. His son was discovered nearby with severe stab wounds and was rushed to a hospital, where he is undergoing treatment, the report further added.
Police said a preliminary investigation points to a domestic dispute, based on a complaint filed by the victim's family members.
Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner N Shashikumar said investigators are working to piece together the sequence of events, adding that only the husband, wife and child were inside the apartment and there was no indication so far that anyone from outside had entered the house.
"Why the incident happened, for what reason needs to be ascertained. Only three people, husband, wife and child, were at home. No one has come from outside. We need to investigate what really happened. A murder case has been registered," he told reporters.
{{/usCountry}}"Why the incident happened, for what reason needs to be ascertained. Only three people, husband, wife and child, were at home. No one has come from outside. We need to investigate what really happened. A murder case has been registered," he told reporters.
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Wife's ‘incoherent’ statements
The Commissioner said Honnannavar's wife, Dr Priya, was in a state of shock and making incoherent statements. Police said the exact motive would become clear only after the investigation.
According to the police, Priya allegedly answered calls made to her husband's phone by relatives and friends from Tuesday evening onwards, giving different explanations about his whereabouts each time.
Adding to the sequence of events, India Today reported that when concerned family members visited the apartment on Wednesday after failing to reach Honnannavar, they found the doctor and his son lying in pools of blood, while Priya was allegedly lying on the bed scrolling her mobile phone. The report also said neighbours had been trying to contact the family since morning but were told by Priya that her husband had gone out for work, the report added.
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Police said the child is believed to be autistic, though this is yet to be verified.
A murder case has been registered, and further investigation is underway to determine the exact sequence of events and the motive behind the killing.
(With inputs from PTI)