Bengaluru doctor who killed wife messaged other women: 'I killed my wife for you'

The Bengaluru doctor arrested for allegedly murdering his wife had reportedly sent a chilling message, "I killed my wife for you," to at least four to five women weeks after the crime.

The accused, Dr Mahendra Reddy, a general surgeon, is alleged to have killed his wife, dermatologist Dr Kruthika M Reddy, by administering an anaesthetic drug. He was arrested in October.

Bid to rekindle old relationships

According to police, Mahendra sent the message, "I killed my wife for you," via the digital payment app PhonePe, using the transaction notes section to communicate.

Among the recipients was a medical professional who had previously rejected his romantic advances. Police said Mahendra used the payment app to send the message after the woman had blocked him on several messaging platforms.

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The woman has since been questioned, and her statement recorded. The messages surfaced after police retrieved data from Mahendra’s seized phone and laptop, which were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for analysis.

Police believe Mahendra made a desperate attempt to revive old relationships following his wife’s death.

Used OT drug to kill his wife

Mahendra was arrested in October, six months after he allegedly killed Kruthika by administering Propofol, an anaesthetic drug restricted to operating theatre (OT) use.

Both doctors worked at Victoria Hospital and got married on May 26, 2024. Less than a year later, on April 23, Kruthika collapsed at her father’s home in Marathahalli, where she had been staying due to health issues.

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Mahendra had reportedly visited her and administered intravenous injections over two days, claiming they were part of her treatment. She was declared dead at a nearby private hospital.

Kruthika's family initially accepted that she had died of natural causes. However, her sister, Dr Nikitha M Reddy, raised doubts and demanded a detailed investigation.

Forensic report reveals details

Six months later, the FSL report confirmed the presence of Propofol in multiple organs, proving that Kruthika had been injected with the anaesthetic compound.

Following this, Kruthika’s father filed a complaint alleging that his son-in-law had murdered his daughter. The case was subsequently reclassified as murder under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Mahendra was arrested from Manipal, Udupi, where he had relocated after the incident.

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Police also revealed that Mahendra’s family had a history of criminal cases. His twin brother, Dr Nagendra Reddy, had faced several cheating and criminal charges in 2018, while Mahendra and another brother, Raghava Reddy, were co-accused in a 2023 criminal intimidation case.

Kruthika’s family claimed these details were concealed at the time of marriage.