'Something Felt Off': How A Sister's Suspicion Blew Open Bengaluru Doctor’s Shocking Murder Plot
Her husband, Mahendra Reddy, a surgeon, was arrested for administering the lethal dose, exploiting his medical knowledge.
- Sister's suspicion led to investigation of dermatologist's death.
- Forensic analysis confirmed lethal anaesthetic in victim's organs.
- Husband, a surgeon, arrested for murder using hospital drug.
A woman's suspicion about her sister's otherwise natural death blew the cover off a shocking murder plot in Bengaluru. Six months after the passing of Kruthika M Reddy, a city-based dermatologist, police have arrested her husband, Mahendra Reddy, a general surgeon, for allegedly murdering her using a hospital-grade anaesthetic.
Reddy, 31, was taken into custody this week after a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report confirmed the presence of Propofol, a controlled anaesthetic typically used only in operating theatres, in the organs of his wife.
The discovery has transformed what initially appeared to be a tragedy into a chilling case of calculated homicide, according to police reports cited by Hindustan Times.
A Sister’s Suspicion That Changed Everything
It was Kruthika’s elder sister, Dr Nikitha M Reddy, a radiologist, whose persistent doubts turned the case around. On April 24, Kruthika was found unresponsive and rushed to Cauvery Hospital, where doctors declared her dead. Her family initially accepted the explanation that she had died of natural causes.
However, Nikitha refused to believe it. Her sister had been healthy and full of life, she told investigators. Driven by unease, she urged the hospital to file a Medico-Legal Case (MLC) with Marathahalli Police. Officers subsequently registered a case of unnatural death, a decision that would later prove crucial.
Months of forensic analysis vindicated her suspicions. Tests conducted by the FSL revealed Propofol traces not only in Kruthika’s organs but also in medical instruments allegedly used by Mahendra.
Forensic Evidence Points to a Chilling Plot
According to the Bengaluru Police, Mahendra administered the lethal dose between 21 and 23 April, while claiming to treat his wife at her parents’ home for “gastritis.” Officers said all the medical equipment he used was seized following her death.
“At first, it appeared she had died of natural causes,” said Whitefield Deputy Commissioner of Police K. Parashurama. “But the post-mortem report detected Propofol traces in both the equipment and Kruthika’s organs.”
Mahendra was arrested in Manipal, Udupi district, nearly 400 kilometres from Bengaluru. Investigators believe his medical training and intimate knowledge of his wife’s health enabled him to carry out the alleged act “with clinical precision.”
Calm Amid Accusations
Mahendra, who is employed at Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru, was produced before a magistrate on Wednesday and remanded to nine days in police custody. Officers said he remained calm under questioning, repeatedly insisting that Kruthika’s death was natural.
Police are continuing their investigation to determine how Mahendra obtained Propofol, a drug strictly regulated for use in medical facilities.
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