Bengaluru Shocker: Six Months After Wife's Death, Doctor Arrested For Murder By Anaesthesia

Police say Dr Mahendra Reddy allegedly used his medical expertise to administer Propofol, a controlled anaesthetic drug, which led to respiratory failure and death.

Six months after what was initially believed to be the “natural death" of a young dermatologist in Bengaluru, the case has taken a shocking turn — her husband, also a doctor, has been arrested for her alleged murder.

Dr Mahendra Reddy GS was taken into custody in Manipal on October 14, 2025, for the alleged premeditated killing of his wife, Dr Kruthika M Reddy, who died on April 24, 2025.

The Alleged Crime and Investigation

Dr Kruthika, a 29-year-old dermatologist, was found dead at her home in Munnekolala, Marathahalli. Her husband, a General Surgeon pursuing a fellowship at Victoria Hospital, initially claimed she had died from complications related to her digestive issues and low blood sugar.

However, the investigation – reopened after her family’s persistent appeals – revealed disturbing details. Police say Dr Mahendra Reddy allegedly used his medical expertise to administer Propofol, a controlled anaesthetic drug, which led to respiratory failure and death. Both the post-mortem and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) reports confirmed traces of Propofol, contradicting the initial assumption of a natural death.

Seemanth Kumar Singh, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner said, “It was a suspicious death, but no one had filed a complaint. We registered it as an unnatural death report, collected all the evidence from the spot, which was then sent to the FSL. After the FSL report came, we found out that a sedative which was given, called Propofol, had been given to the deceased in excessive amounts. The doctors confirmed that it was due to the excessive sedative. We are now continuing the investigation. Earlier, no one had filed a complaint, but now the deceased’s father has filed a complaint against her husband," he said.

The police have defended the delay in cracking the case saying FSL works on waiting list basis but the cops were investigating the case even the deceased’s family had not filed a complaint.

According to investigators, Mahendra Reddy had been giving his wife IV infusions for three consecutive days, claiming it was for gastric problems. On April 23, she became unconscious and was taken to a private hospital. Despite doctors recommending a 72-hour fasting test, he allegedly discharged her after just 36 hours, and she died soon after.

Police sources also revealed that he was adamant about avoiding a post-mortem, raising immediate suspicion. The Unnatural Death Report (UDR) filed on April 24 was later converted into a murder case after the FSL findings confirmed a drug overdose.

Investigators believe the motive was financial and personal. Dr Kruthika’s father, Mr Muni Reddy K, alleged that Mahendra repeatedly demanded money to open a private hospital, even though the family had already financed a clinic for the couple. There are also allegations of extramarital affairs, dowry harassment, and domestic abuse.

Further scrutiny revealed that Mahendra Reddy and his twin brother, Dr Nagendra Reddy GS, along with Dr Raghava Reddy GS, had been accused in a 2018 case of cheating and criminal intimidation. A compromise order was issued in April 2023 to withdraw those cases — information allegedly concealed from Dr Kruthika before their marriage in May 2024.

Dr Mahendra Reddy was arrested within three hours of the FIR being registered and is now undergoing intense interrogation by the Marathahalli Police.

The case has been filed under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which carries a penalty of life imprisonment or death for murder.

News is originally taken from: http://bit.ly/3IKgDPS

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