Six months after Dr Kruthika Reddy’s death was recorded as natural, forensic reports confirmed she had been given Propofol, leading to her husband’s arrest.
A 28-year-old Bengaluru dermatologist, Dr Kruthika Reddy, was allegedly murdered by her husband, surgeon Dr Mahendra Reddy, who police said used his medical expertise to administer a fatal dose of anaesthesia under the guise of treatment.
Six months after her sudden death was recorded as natural, forensic reports confirmed she had been given Propofol, a controlled anaesthetic, leading to Mahendra’s arrest on October 14, HT reported earlier.
In front of her house in Ayyappa Layout now stands a nameplate that reads ‘In Memory of Dr Kruthika M Reddy’, a grim reminder of a father’s shattered dream.
“I built that house only to see my daughter living happily with her husband and kids,” The Indian Express quoted her father, K Muni Reddy, who has since donated the property to ISKCON, as saying.
Kruthika Reddy had moved in with her husband, Mahendra Reddy, after their wedding in May 2024. Less than a year later, in April, she died under mysterious circumstances after Mahendra allegedly treated her for gastritis at home, administering medication intravenously.
Six months later, the family’s worst fears came true. Forensic tests confirmed that Kruthika had been given a lethal dose of Propofol, a powerful anaesthetic used only in hospital surgeries.
Mahendra, 31, a general surgeon at Victoria Hospital, was arrested on October 14 for allegedly murdering his wife “with clinical precision,” as police described.
“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.
Police said Mahendra used his expertise and intimate knowledge of Kruthika’s health to plan the killing under the guise of treatment.
On April 21, he gave her an intravenous injection at their home for what he claimed was gastric discomfort. Two days later, on April 23, she complained of pain at the IV site.
He told her over WhatsApp not to remove it and visited that night to administer another dose. The next morning, Kruthika was found unresponsive. Despite being a doctor, Mahendra did not perform CPR. She was declared dead on arrival at a nearby hospital.
The postmortem and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) reports confirmed the presence of anaesthetic substances in her organs, turning what was initially seen as a natural death into a murder case.
“Our daughter believed her marriage was built on respect and love. But the same medical knowledge that should have healed others was used to end her life,” said Muni Reddy, who filed the complaint that led to Mahendra’s arrest.
Investigators believe Mahendra was angered after learning that Kruthika had long-standing gastric and metabolic disorders, which her family allegedly hadn’t disclosed before marriage. This, they suspect, led to resentment that ultimately turned fatal.
Even after her death, Mahendra reportedly maintained a chilling composure, behaving as if it were a tragic medical mishap. Police have now booked him under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Kruthika, who was preparing to open her own skin clinic, Skin & Scalpel, on May 4, was known for her compassion and dedication.
Today, her father finds solace in faith. “Her memories haunt me. I donated it to ISKCON three months ago. They conduct events and devotional activities there. I believe she will be part of it,” said Muni Reddy.
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